Not Knowing
by The Hobbit Ivy
Summary: COMPLETE! Fanya Helyan is a halfelf who grew up in a human world. Through travelling, she meets Legolas, Prince almighty. What happens when she finds herself too scared to believe she's in love? MS warning!
1. Fanya's Decision

A/N: After gathering my thoughts from about the past month (and, I must say, it became quite overwhelming.) I have finally reached the conclusion that I am to write ANOTHER story. Because A) I am bored, and B) I like reviews. I think this may satisfy all of the Leggy luvers out there, because I plan to make this one a good one. I hope. I just don't really care about flames, because I KNOW that Leggy owns the many hearts of fangirls out there.I know orli has got mine. *sigh*  
  
Anywho, I hope you like this one, and I hope that this isn't a mary-sue like all the other mary-sues out there. I like Mary-Sue's though, so if it is, FLAMERS CAN JUST *&^% OFF!!!!!! MUAH HA HA HA Ha Ha Ha ha ha ha..ok. I'll stop.  
  
Chapter 1: Fanya's Decision  
  
"AND HURRY WITH THE CHICKEN!"  
  
"Yes father."  
  
"AND THE POTATOES"  
  
"Yes father."  
  
"DON'T FORGET TO GET YOUR SISTER CLEAN FOR DINNER"  
  
"Uma, Adar."  
  
"FANYA!!!!!!"  
  
"Amin ista."  
  
"FANYA!!!!!!"  
  
Fanya chuckled to herself as she started to wet a cloth to get her younger sister clean.  
  
"Fana why you make papa mad?" asked Ana, her youngest sister, who was two and a half years old. She was spattered here and there mud and grass stains. She still hadn't mastered saying her older sister's name.  
  
"It's because me and papa don't get.along very well," came the answer, almost unconsciously. Actually, Fanya didn't get along well with her father. She and her stepfather seemed to be sworn enemies. He hated Fanya, and in return Fanya hated him.  
  
After cleaning Ana, she walked her into the dining room, and sat her down on a seat, while not sitting herself. Her stepfather was still fuming about Fanya using elvish.  
  
Her mother pulled her aside "How many damn times do I have to tell you not to go upsetting your father like that! You know how he hates elves!"  
  
"Uma." she answered, then she added coldly, "I can see why he hates me then." She stormed off. She didn't care where she was going, but she wasn't going to stay here. After grabbing a cloak, her favorite cloak, off a hook in the kitchen, she stormed out of the house and into the ranch. Her mother was a bit too slow, and came as she was riding out of the gates.  
  
"Amin wanyaien an Mirkwood, an kena i er ya mela amin!" She shouted over her shoulder. She knew her mother didn't know what she said, but she knew very well herself. 'I'm going to Mirkwood to see the one who loves me!'. Which was her ada. Her father. She had only seen him once, when he came to Gondor, where her mother and stepfather lived, to try to claim her, because she was an elf. Well, half elf. Her mother had fallen in love with her father, Linque, and he had loved her back. But, since humans can love more than once, she easily let him down for another man. Unfortunately, she was already pregnant with Fanya. After Fanya was born, she had left Linque for the evil bastard of a stepfather. Who just happened to hate elves. Thus, Fanya had turned into some kind of maid for her mother, stepfather, 5 brothers and 7 sisters. Fanya was already nearing the age of 20, and was soon hopeful that her mother would let her off for a while, but when she didn't.well, lets just say that she was riding north as fast she could on her pitch black stallion Morion, or black one in elvish. Sometimes she would call her Lurrea, which meant Dark one, but that made her think too much of Sauron.a bad thought.  
  
She decided to pause for the night at a tree that she had long since discovered. She used to ride way out of the city for hours and hours, even days when she was younger. She had found this tree, which was so big that she couldn't have even stretched her whole body around it. 'It's big enough for the whole of middle earth to sit on.' She used to think. Now, she just saw it as a haven.  
  
Laying on the damp grass, she started to sing softly to herself in elvish. Morion seemed to like it, and lay down and Fanya leant up against her, and fell into a light sleep.  
  
A/N: I WANT REVIEWS. PLEASE! I shall KIDNAP someone if I don't get at least 5 reviews! I SWEAR!!!!!!!  
  
Have a happy day! ( Translations: Uma Adar: Yes Father Amin Ista: I know And the rest you can read in the story. 


	2. Traveling

A/N: I haven't gotten 5 reviews...I WANT THEM!!!!! I'm planning on kidnapping... Oh, I dunno. I'll decide at the end of the chapter! MUAH HA HA!!!!!!  
  
Hey, do you know what's cool? OF COURSE YOU DON'T!!!! It's just that Fanya means 'white cloud' in elvish, and Linque (her father, if you've all forgotten) means 'water'. so water makes clouds when it evaporates! Yea!!! Random but true! I LIKE THIS JOB! Well...not job, more like, thingthatIcandoinmysparetimewhichisalmostnothingbutIfindsparetimeanyway. (hehehehehehe!!!)  
  
Chapter Two: Traveling  
  
Fanya awoke several hours later as the sun was rising. As much as she hated waking up that early, she decided she had no choice if she wanted to reach Mirkwood in the most short amount of time possible, which seemed to be about a fortnight, seeing as she had 400-500 miles to cover.  
  
She tried to tame her waist long blonde hair by running her fingers through it. After (somewhat) getting it untangled, she braided it, knowing it would get more tangled when she would ride. 'Elves have it easy...their hair just waves around looking glorious, but me on the other hand...mine does exactly what I don't want it to do. It gets all messy.THANK YOU mother for BEING HUMAN...' she thought sarcastically. Half elves don't get all the wonderful qualities that pure elves do. They only get half of them, and lose them if they chose mortality. They become full elves (A/N: 'full?' you all may ask? Well, she's only a half elf, so when she becomes a real elf, the half doubles to full...right?) they gain all the walking silently, the perfect hearing, and the glorious eyesight. Though she already is much better at that than humans are.  
  
She rode for what seemed like years. She didn't stop Morion much, because she knew that she could take the exercise. Morion was a elven-bred horse that her father had given her when she was 10, (way back when he tried to claim her) and she had learned to ride him like a real elf - bareback. Fanya only stopped when she was about to fall off the horse from being too tired. She dearly wished there was someone to talk to her, someone to keep her company. But all she had were the trees, the grass, the rivers, and the hills. And her horse, but her horse couldn't talk, though Fanya could sense what she was thinking, whether she was tired, or brimming with energy. Fanya always paid attention to her horse, because that was her number one traveling choice. She could have walked, but there was no chance of her getting there within a month.  
  
*three days later*  
  
Fanya slid off her horse onto the wet, muddy ground. She knew of a small town nearby, but she knew not the name. She sighed exasperatedly and sank down to the ground, leaning against a tree trunk. "It's raining. I'm wet. I'm cold. And I'm hungry." I can't believe how dreary it's been." Absent- mindedly stroking Morion, she started to sing to herself the song that she made up when she was small. "The red sun is rising, O ' r the hill, Horses are riding, Far 'way! Trees are swaying, In the wind. Flowers. Dancing. In the wind!." (A/N: THAT SONG IS MINE. It's sung to the first part of the song 'Rohan')  
  
Then she let go. The flood of tears that had been threatening to come out for days came out. She remembered the times when her mother had been drunk and had abused her.when her stepfather had done the same.All the times she had been laughed at as a child because she was a half elf. the time that her father could not take her...how she had to see him leave... leave for what seemed like forever... And now she was tired, cold, and hungry... she stood up, shaking herself, and drawing her cloak more tightly around her. She whispered something to her horse, mounted it, and trotted into the distance, knowing that she couldn't linger on the past in order for her future to get better.  
  
But someone was watching.  
  
A/N: That was the chapter. A bit depressing toward the end (to me at least!) but good all the same. I GOT 1 REVIEW!!! YEA!!!!!!! *dances around room* thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!!!!!! *dances more*  
  
Ooh. The plot thickens. *smiles evilly*  
  
And my brother is telling me to get off and hurting me immensely, so I guess I should hurry and upload this thing. *sigh* brothers are such pains. 


	3. A Chase

A/N: WEEEEE!!! I GOT TWO REVIEWS!!!!!! *dances around*  
  
Chapter Three: A Chase  
  
The elf stood still, a bit shocked. He had heard her voice, heard that beautiful song that she had sang. He didn't know what to think about her crying. Deciding that he should get back to his home, he slowly mounted his horse.  
  
Suddenly, an idea struck him. The girl.she looked like an elf. seemed to be going the same direction. He urged the horse faster into a gallop, and with his elven eyes he could see her stallion in the distance. She wasn't going very fast, but she was at least two miles ahead of him by this time.  
  
*****  
  
Wiping the tears still glistening on her face, she tried to get a hold of herself. Though she knew that there was no one for miles, she knew that Mirkwood was at least a week away, and if she continued at this speed and composure, she would be there at least before she was 300.  
  
She was so preoccupied that she only just noticed a horses footfalls that was barely 50 feet behind her. She jerked around and saw an elf riding a horse quickly toward her. She slowed down enough so they could catch up to her.  
  
"Mae govannen, arwen en amin," The elf, who she noticed was tall, blonde, and extremely handsome.  
  
"Mae govannen," she answered.  
  
"What is your name? I would much like to know, for you are very beautiful." He said camly. She gasped and said quickly,  
  
"Oh.no, I am not worthy of a compliment of beauty." She blushed furiously and nudged her horse to move. She wasn't sure she liked this guy.  
  
"My lady, you are!" he persisted.  
  
"I'm sure my father will like to see me as soon as possible, I must go, I'm sorry I cannot chat right now." She said quickly. She kicked Morion somewhat hard in the side to get her to gallop. The elf behind her sped up his horse as well. She willed her horse to go faster than him, and Morion rose to the challenge. To her this was just another horse race; to Fanya this was a required getaway. The elf's horse was very fast, and it was a close race. The raced all the way through the village, and as the shot down the streets, peasants stared, and asked themselves "why are two elves racing? They are so noncompetitive!" Finally, Fanya gave in. She slowed her horse, because Morion was tiring. She had not rested for days. Fanya dismounted when Morion had jerked to a stop. The elf on the other hand had not noticed her stop, and shot straight past her. He noticed her sudden stop and turned sharply, almost falling off his horse. Fanya giggled, and led Morion to a nearby tree to rest in the shade. He came toward her smiling.  
  
"Well, that was an interesting race. It seemed like I won. So now," he paused, "will you tell me your name?"  
  
She, still brimming with energy, not to mention annoyance, just whispered to her horse as if the elf was not there, "Noro lim, Morion, take me to Mirkwood," and Morion abliged, setting off at a gallop, leaving the man behind.  
  
*****  
  
What had she taken offense to? Was she really in that kind of hurry to get to her father to leave him in the dust? Legolas felt a bit strange, for he had just raced for miles and miles, and covered the ground of at least three days travel in less than a day and a half. He patted his horses neck, and let it choose the speed it wanted to go in order to get back home.  
  
*****  
  
Fanya let out a sharp intake of breath at the sight before her. She was sitting tall on her horse, which was at the entrance of Mirkwood. She hadn't expected to get there for another day, but she was there nonetheless.  
  
Steering toward a peasant, she asked "Manke naa Linque Helyan?" The lady pointed to trees. "Mani?" The peasant explained that he lives somewhat far from the village. "Just go straight, until you come to his flet." She told her quickly in elvish.  
  
So Fanya turned her horse and prodded Morion to go into the forest. Thoughts raced. "What if he doesn't remember me? How will he react to me being here? What if he is ill? What if he has met another girl elf? What if he's already married to an elf? Does he still love me? Why couldn't he take me here when I was young? Who is that goddamn elf that was pestering me on my way here? How many questions have I asked my self? Was that 10 already?" Before she knew it, she had gone about a quarter of a mile outside the village and came to a rope ladder, leading to a flet. She dismounted, softly told Morion to stay here, and she'll come back to her later. "Just let me talk with father first." she whispered gently. She hung her pack onto Morion, and started to climb the ladder. One step at a time, she silently hoped against hope that her father remembered her, loved her, and would help. Clambering onto the flet, she walked to the door, softly knocked and checked the handle. It wasn't locked. She turned it, at the same time that the person on the inside did. The door opened to reveal...  
  
A/N: Muah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!! I just LOVE cliffhangers. Though you probably think you know who's behind the door. BUAH HA HA!!! I just LOVE evil laughter! Ok, I would like to respond to some of the reviews. Ok, all of them. Except flames. And THANKFULLY I haven't gotten any of them! Whoopie!!!! *dances around*  
  
Vanwathoniel: Thank you! I hope you enjoy it (  
  
MysticMoonBabe: Thanks ^^  
  
The Name Changer: I'll try, but I can't promise anything! O ^  
  
Xnedra: I'm glad you have nothing bad to say! I like that (lol!)  
  
French Pony: I LOVE YOU for all those tips! I didn't know that my writing seemed shakey! I guess that because I haven't had much luck *unfortunantly* with most of my stories, I just want a good start. I might be trying too hard *lol* About 'Morion' I saw that it means 'black one' so that's what I am calling her. It's a girl horse, and I know nothing about horses, and honestly I don't care about what kind of horse it is, I just want her riding a horse. Hehe. ^ ^ Thankyouthankyouthankyou for all those goodies!  
  
Aireur: I'm glad that you like my story!  
  
Anon: I'm trying! I find it hard to write tremendously long chapters when school is there to interfere! Lol!  
  
Boy Crazy Magician Chick: Your review makes me feel all fuzzily warm inside! Seriously! Thankyouthankyouthankyou!!!  
  
I luv you all for reviewing! I have 8 reviews! Yea! Please make me feel all fuzzily warm and review! I practically bounced the whole way to my friends house this afternoon! Lol!  
  
Translations: Mae govannen, Arwen en amin: Well met, my lady  
  
Noro lim, Morion: Ride fast Morion  
  
Manke naa Linque Helyan: Where is Linque Helyan (I couldn't find 'where does he live' Oo)  
  
Mani? : What?  
  
Remember to review! Or I'll *sniffle* cry! Lol ^ ^ 


	4. Retelling

A/N: No new reviews! It's like you don't care! *sniff* it might be because FF.net is being weird and not letting me upload the chapter. *glares at internet button* I swear I'll murder those people if they don't fix it! *lol* I'll try at school tomorrow morning (  
  
Chapter Four: Retelling the Past  
  
"Ada!" cried Fanya, throwing her arms around the elf who stood in front of her.  
  
"Fanya.I've missed you so much." whispered Linque, gently caressing her back reassuringly.  
  
They walked inside and Linque poured a bottle of wine into two goblets and handed one to her. "Fanya, why did you come? You know that I could not take you from...her." he finally was able to spit out the last word.  
  
"Uma, Ada, but I could not stay with Atar any longer. It was just too cruel living there! I couldn't bear it any longer!" She said, longingly.  
  
"Tell me about it then. Get it off your chest." Her father told her. "From when I left you until now,"  
  
"Well, after you left Gondor, Atar and that wretched person I was forced to call Adar seemed to think that because you had tried to take me, that I did not belong in their house. Before, I had seemed at least a child to them, afterward, I was more of a...maid. I lived serving them, while my mother kept having children." Her father's eyes seemed to flicker at this. Whatever had been there was gone in an instant. Fanya continued. "Pretty soon, we had a huge family, and I was the servant in which was expected to do everything. Clean, cook, wash, shop, take my brothers and sisters everywhere, do everything for them. Only one of my sisters understood me. That was the youngest sibling, Ana. Though she was only two and a half, she knew that Atar and... father and I didn't get along. She didn't care. She loved me like I was her mother, perhaps because Atar was always doing other things. Finally, one day, I cracked. I spoke elvish to my stepfather, which was never allowed, and Atar told me off about it. I shouted at her, and left. I took Morion and some of my belongings and left for here. It took me a fortnight. Halfway here, I met an elf. I do not know his name. He seemed very...bold. He told me outright that I was a beautiful maiden, without even knowing my name! I was just a bit creeped out, so I jumped back on Morion and took off. We raced for a day and a half, until we were out of the nearest human village near here. No sooner than we had stopped to rest, I had Morion galloping, because this elf was so persistent! It was as if he had been sent by Sauron to annoy me to the point of demise. But I took off without him, and I didn't see him at all during the remainder of the journey...luckily."  
  
She finished her tale. Her father looked at her with soft brown eyes. He whispered, "I'm sorry... Sorry for leaving you with the wretched woman I used to call melamin. Sorry for not being there for you when you needed me... Just so sorry..." A tear leaked down her father's cheek. She knew what he was going through, he was wishing that it had never happened... that Fanya had never been born of her human mother, that she would have grown up in Mirkwood along with all of the other elves, a normal girl.  
  
Fanya scooted over on the couch that they were both sitting on, and embraced her father. His words were echoing in her head. "Just so sorry...Sorry for not being there..." Soon, she was reminiscing about all the times her stepfather had beaten her, all the times her drunken mother had yelled, when her siblings wouldn't pay attention to her... She didn't want to remember these times, but they came back to her as she was leaning against her father.  
  
She was ready for a new life. One that she would not remember the pain of the past... one that she would love.  
  
A/N: Ok, I really suck at making things overly sad, but there you go. YEA WEEKEND. I just LOVE weekends! Lotsa updates and lotsa people reading and REVIEWING!!! *cheers*  
  
Review responses:  
  
A. K. Y. C. Or else..what? ;) thx! I LOVE threats when it comes to updates! Lol O ^  
  
The Merry Murderess Kitta: What do you mean 'perhaps'? Of course I'll continue!  
  
Lara Roberts: Thx! I luv reviews like that (  
  
Asyr: I'm updating! I'm updating! *hurries and writes more*  
  
Thank you all for reviewing! I expect at least 7 reviews for the next chapter, or I'm going to, erm, kidnap...ORLANDO BLOOM! Ya. I'll kidnap Orli to bribe you all! Muah ha ha ha ha ha haaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
ACK!!!! I just realized that 4 of you have me on ur favorite author list! Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!!! 


	5. Learning an identity

A/N: Oh goodie! I already have more reviews! *squeals*  
  
Not seven reviews! I'm going to go kidnap Orli! *runs off into distance, then shouts back 'HERE'S THE NEXT CHAPTER!!!'*  
  
Chapter Five:  
  
Fanya woke to the sun rising, and walked out onto the balcony and watched the sun as it rose. It was a beautiful morning, with dew gracing the leaves and grass that had little water droplets of what seemed like crystal.  
  
She walked into the kitchen, to find her father already making breakfast.  
  
"Quel amron, ada," She said lightly, kissing him on the cheek.  
  
"Quel amron, Fanya."  
  
Fanya sat down at the table and started to sip some water.  
  
"Fanya, I am running out of eggs, butter, and flour. Perhaps you could go to the market and see if you could trade something for them. I have some bread and jams that I made earlier that you could easily barter."  
  
"Of course, Ada, anything!" she said, jumping up and taking a slice of bread from her father to eat, and grabbing a loaf from a cabinet to trade.  
  
She made her way down the ladder and to Morion, who was still patiently waiting for her tied to a tree, and nibbling some of the damp grass. She untied her and jumped on, then kicked her gently, signaling for her to move.  
  
Riding the way to the market, she found that many of her questions had been answered. Of course her father remembered her. No, he hadn't found love again. And he obviously still loved her. There was one question that hadn't been answered. Who was that annoying elf that had followed her? Only time would tell...  
  
Soon, she found she had traveled the distance to the market. She rode Morion around, and found a maiden selling what she needed. She dismounted and traded the 2 loaves of bread for 5 eggs, a jar of butter, and a pound of flour. 'Quite a good deal, if I do say so myself,' she thought, as she mounted Morion again.  
  
A voice cried out of the large crowd at the market, "Prince Legolas! He has returned!"  
  
She wheeled around, and saw him. That elf. He spotted her, and moved his horse toward her.  
  
"So, we meet again, my lady." He said coolly, and somewhat proudly.  
  
"So we do." She replied in exactly the same tone.  
  
"I guess I have not properly introduced myself. Legolas Greenleaf. And you?" He held out his hand. Fanya didn't make a move.  
  
"That's for me to know, and you to never find out." She said haughtily, as she kicked Morion, and sped off into the forest. 'Well...that solves that question.'  
  
*****  
  
Legolas watched as she sped off into the forest, making a mental note of the direction of her travel. His elven eyes saw that there was a flet about a quarter of a mile out, which no doubtedly was where she was staying.  
  
But why was she so rude to him?  
  
He would definitely need to answer that question.  
  
*****  
  
Fanya slowed Morion down at her father's flet, and whispered to her to stay in the area. She didn't need to worry about tying her up this time, because she knew that Morion was loyal enough to stay in the area. Morion whickered to her, which she took as a 'yes'. She slung the bag holding the butter, eggs and flour over her shoulder and climbed the ladder.  
  
"Ada! I have everything." She said, as she put the bag on the table, taking them out.  
  
"Diolla lle, Fanya. Tell me, mani naa raika? You seem bothered about something."  
  
"Oh, it is nothing ada, nothing that would matter." She replied, staring at the floor.  
  
He walked over to her and stood in front of her, cradling her chin in his hands and forcing her head upwards to look into his eyes. "Everything matters about my daughter. I have not had one here for almost 20 years. Trust me, my daughter. It matters." He said seriously to her.  
  
"Do you remember me last night telling you about that elf that I met on my travels?" she asked?  
  
"Uma..."  
  
"Well, when I went to the market and bought the stuff I saw him just as I was about to turn back. He called to me, then told me his name. He asked mine, and I was a bit rude to him... NOT a good thing." She finished lamely.  
  
"And why is that? And what is his name?"  
  
"Because he is Prince Legolas."  
  
A/N: *Comes back with a smug look on face dragging a very disgruntled (and hot) looking Orlando Bloom* I got him!  
  
Orli: *thinks* I can't BELIEVE that she got me!  
  
Me: Tell the public how much you love me-I mean, them all!  
  
Orli: *silence*  
  
Me: *whispers* He's not talking. I think it has something to do with the fact that I took him away from the RotK photo shoots. Of course all the girls there were goggling over him, and when he was about to start signing their stuff I walked up there and handcuffed him and took him here. *smug look*  
  
Orli: *forgets he isn't speaking* ...she just came in there and grabbed me and took me all the way to this tortu- *looks around room for the first time and sees pictures of him and Aragorn* Whoa... I had NO IDEA I was attracting that MUCH attention?  
  
Me: He speaks! *swoops down on Orli and starts questioning him about nonsense*  
  
Orli: What have I gotten into? Oh well, review or she may NEVER let me go! *big brown fuzzy puppy eyes*  
  
Translations: Quel amron: good morning Diolla lle: thank you Mani naa raika: What is wrong?  
  
And this is the last chapter that I'm saying these, because you better get used to learning these: Uma: yes N'uma: no Ada: Daddy (adar means father) Ata: mommy (Atar means Mother)  
  
Review Responses:  
  
Lara Roberts: Thank you, I'm glad that you found that funny ^^  
  
FAIRYofLight: Oh, your reviews were told amongst my friends and that made them laugh! It made me laugh as well! Thanks!  
  
Xnedra: It doesn't matter as long as you send a review to me! I don't care whether you have something to say! It's all good! ^^  
  
A. K. Y. C.: Here's your longer chapter... and HAHAHAHA I GOT THERE FIRST!!! *sticks out tongue*  
  
Review or I'll kiss Orli! *scoots closer to Orlando*  
  
Orli: REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!!!!! *scoots away with a scared look* 


	6. A little late, but a Disclaimer and AN

Ok, not really a chapter, but before I get flamed here's the disclaimer:  
  
I own Fanya, Linque, and her Mom, and siblings. I wish I didn't own her stepfather, but *sigh* I guess I do. I don't on Legolas, or anything you really recognize, but guess what! I've got Orli right here looking sulky!  
  
Orli: *sulky look*  
  
Stepfather: Oh come on! I can't be that bad!!! I'm just an imaginary character for reviewers to hate!  
  
Orli: and I'm just a fugitive who just about every reviewer loves. Join the club.  
  
Me: Shut up! You guys aren't supposed to talk. Ok, Stepfather isn't allowed to talk. Orli can talk all he wants in that really sexy accent of his.  
  
Orli: *groan*  
  
Me: I'll duct tape you to a chair if you don't stop complaining!  
  
Orli: *fake grin*  
  
Me: better... Now, I luv you all who review, I'm serious! You guys mean so much to me! I always like to get reviews, I mean, WHO DOESN'T? But if you have something bad to say, stand up, No, really! Stand up, go outside, GO. And scream it for the world to hear, and maybe you might be able to scream it all the way to Texas to my house. I CAN'T HEAR YOU!!!!!! Wait, that means no one has bad things to say! YEAAA!!!!!!  
  
I don't care for flames, only 'constructive criticism' or whatever everyone calls it.  
  
Thx for the reviews and I'll update whenever an idea strikes me, and hopefully that'll be every day, but I PROMISE at least once a week you'll get a new chappy ^^  
  
-The Hobbit Ivy ~~~9:16PM Central time~~~ 


	7. Resolving

A/N: I've gotten enough reviews to continue writing ^^  
  
Orli: thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!!!  
  
Me: I don't think he wants to be kissed by me... I wonder why. Anyway, next chapter!  
  
Chapter Six: Resolving  
  
"You WHAT?! "What do you think you were doing?" He started to yell, but stopped. "No...don't answer that. I would have acted the same way. I shouldn't have yelled." He looked downcast.  
  
Fanya was startled at his sudden mood swing. She hated the look on her father's face at yelling at his only daughter. The bad mood that Fanya had been in was gone and now she only wanted to comfort her father.  
  
"Amin hiraetha, ada. I shouldn't have acted the way I did. But there's nothing I can do now. But he's so annoying! And so bold! I don't think that ANYONE could live with him!"  
  
"You do, do you?" said her father, with a hint of jest.  
  
"Uma. I do."  
  
A/N: Ok, it was short. Ok, MORE than short. But I'm at school and I'm waiting for everyone to finish a (BORING AND IMMENSELY EASY) test. Sorry, but I had to leave Orli at home,  
  
Orli: *in distance* SHE'S GONE! WHOOPIE!!!!!! *throws confetti*  
  
Me: And I don't have the review list with me, so I'll do responses at the end of the next chapter.  
  
Happy days everyone!  
  
-The Hobbit Ivy;;;;;; September 11, 2003. And I must put in, God Bless America, as we all remember that day two years ago.  
  
Translations: Amin Hiraetha: I'm sorry 


	8. Training and Such

A/N: *GASP!* I've already gotten *checks list* 11 reviews since 2 days ago! OMG I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT YOU ALL LOVE IT!!! I Haven't gotten a SINGLE flame yet, and I felt that I just HAD to put it out there that I'm so happy!!!!! (and I don't want flames, so see chapter 6 for instructions for sending me flames ^^.  
  
Orli: Remind me why she doesn't leave the house on the weekends?  
  
Me: Because there's no school *WHOOP!* and all my friends come here. Especially because YOU'RE here!  
  
Orli: I still don't get why you're holding me captive.  
  
Me: It's because I like interesting A/N's.  
  
Orli: But couldn't you have gotten Aragorn?  
  
Me: He's not real *pout* but good idea!  
  
Disclaimer in (guess where!) chapter 6!  
  
Chapter 7: Training and Such  
  
"Fanya! Fanya! FANYA!" Shouted Lenwë from the distance of the training field. Currently he was trying to get Fanya to pay attention to him and stop daydreaming. "HEY!" he yelled in her ear. "ORQU!!!"  
  
He finally got an answer. "Wha.? Oh, Sorry Mellonamin. I was daydreaming."  
  
"I noticed."  
  
Fifty years had passed, Fanya was now almost 70 years old. She had spent the first three years in Greenwood staying in her father's flet, and then moved into a flet of her own. It was close to a little river with a lovely little pond to swim in and lots of tall, shady trees to read underneath.  
  
Linque had asked her one day about three months ago if she could deliver a message. It wasn't urgent, so she could leave whenever she wanted to. He had then asked her whether she had any experience with a sword. When she had told him no, he had asked Lenwë to teach her. She was already very good.  
  
"Are you ready to spar?" Lenwë asked her, a glint in his eye.  
  
"You bet!" And they started. Their swords clashed against each other, sending metal clashing sounds rocketing through the wood. Lenwë was nearing the age of 1000, and had way more experience than she, but he was a good teacher and Fanya was almost as good as he. They had been working nonstop for the last two-and-a-half months, and practiced for nearly 7 hours a day. It was exhausting, but Fanya's father wanted her to be able to wield a sword, should she meet any trouble along the way.  
  
After almost 10 minutes of clings and bangs, Fanya finally was tiring. She sidestepped him, and hooked her leg around the back of his, tripping him. He hit the ground on his back, knocking the air out of him, and Fanya placed her sword on his neck.  
  
"I win," She was breathing hard, but a smile was upon her face as she helped Lenwë up off the ground.  
  
"Gee that was exhausting. You might be able to take on Legolas if you really wanted to. Her eyes flashed at the mention of his name. After fifty years, Legolas still hadn't learned her name. 'Heh. He'll never know if he even came and begged at my door.' She thought. She still didn't know why he had been so bold, but since he had a lot of princly work to do, he was hardly around to do anything.  
  
For instance, this smelly, greasy, terrible looking guy came to the borders, with this equally smelly, greasy, terrible looking creature on a string. It was a weird thing, and it talked in third person, and exaggerated it's 'S's. It coughed as if it was saying 'Gollum...Gollum" so many elves called it, big surprise, 'Gollum'. Soon 'Gollum' had escaped, along with those big ugly spiders help, and it caused BIG havoc down at the palace. Fanya didn't know what Thranduil was going to do about it, but she did know that she was glad that that creature was gone. She could hear the sreeches of that thing all the way at her flet, and it had been held in a cell deep under the ground. Hell, she felt sorry for the guards down there.  
  
After bidding Lenwë farewell, she walked to her father's flet, wishing that Morion wasn't at her stable, for she was extremely tired. She managed to get to the ladder without collapsing, and climbed the ladder and went into the flet.  
  
"Ada!" she called. "I'm here!"  
  
She saw Linque come out of his bedroom, hiding something behind his back. Fanya didn't notice. "Hello, Fanya. How was training?"  
  
She first sprawled herself on the couch before answering. "Well, I managed to trip Lenwë and win after ten minutes of intense dueling..." she said.  
  
"Sounds like you're pretty good." He said proudly. Fanya finally noticed that he was hiding something.  
  
"Ada, what do you have behind your back...?" Fanya said, curiously.  
  
Linque smiled, and pulled out...  
  
A/N: Well, there's your chapter ^^.  
  
Orli: And she still hasn't let me go. *sulk*  
  
Me: And I'll NEVER let him go! *smirk*  
  
Orli: *groan*  
  
Me: Oh, by the way, I arranged for a kissing booth to be set up somewhere around 4 tomorrow if you keep complaining. I'm sure everyone out there will love if you complain now! *evil grin*  
  
Orli: I'LL BE NICE! I SWEAR!  
  
Me: Oh, well. He's mine! MINE I TELL YOU. I get to kiss him all I want!  
  
Review Responses:  
  
Crissy dowie: NO! NOT THE MAN-EATING HAMMIES!!!!!  
  
Mercuriall: *shrug* I dunno... thx 4 reviewing ^^  
  
Dizzy izzy: Whoa...too many suggestions for people to type *dazed look* And NO!!! Orli's MINE!!! *muah ha ha!!!*  
  
A. K. Y. C.: My gosh! You seem to review almost EVERY chapter that I update! I'm so happy! ^^  
  
Blu-eyed-belle: It may be a bit fast right now, but trust me, when we get into the meat of the story, it'll slow down. I hope. ^^ Thx for reviewing!  
  
Tracy: Thx for the advice, I tried to do that in this chapter, I don't know whether I did very well though! Lol!  
  
Shannon: I'll try! I promise! I hope you like the rest of this story ^^  
  
Abby Rose: I KNOW. I HATE how school interferes with EVERYTHING IN LIFE. I try to find as much spare time as I can, which is probably about 20 minutes every day. Blech, with Volleyball, homework, Piano, and school, my life is already full to bursting! Lol! Thanks for the review!  
  
Arwen1481: Thanks! I hope this supplies you with enough long-chapterness for a while. Not sure how much I can put in during the school week! ^^ Thx!  
  
Boy Crazy Magician Chick: Thx! I'm trying to supply readers with as much school-week goodies, so the next chappy may be on Monday or Tuesday ^^.  
  
Toby Keith Fanatic: Thanks, I hope that it stays this good! Lol! ^^  
  
...And those are all the reviews for this chappy! I can't wait to get more! ;)  
  
Not like I need to say it, but REVIEW! Or I kiss Orli!  
  
-The Hobbit Ivy...10:51PM 9/13/03 


	9. Nessme'a

A/N: I'm bored. Those brownies smell really good...  
  
Orli: *thinks* don't let her notice I'm stealing her brownies!  
  
Me: *brownie sense tingles* ORLANDO BLOOM WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!?!  
  
Orli: Erm... *grabs brownie*  
  
...disclaimer in ch. 6...  
  
Just a forewarning, I'm going to make this one a quickie so I can get into the rest of the story and all those meaty parts! Lol ^^  
  
Chapter Eight: Nessme'a  
  
A Sword. A beautiful, Mithril, long and elegant sword.  
  
"Aiya! Ada! Taa naa vanima!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around her fathers neck, all of her fatigue forgotten.  
  
After she pulled away, her father spoke. "It was given to me by my father when I had completed my training. Now I give it to you." He smiled. "I hope it will serve you well. It is called Nessme'a."  
  
"Young light?"  
  
"Uma, tinuamin."  
  
She hugged him, then said "Ada, when do I leave?"  
  
"Whenever you feel it right to." He answered.  
  
"Then I will go tomorrow. I'll go get ready now." She said, then headed toward the door, but paused, turned around, and said, "Ada?"  
  
"Uma?"  
  
"Diolla lle."  
  
A/N: *chasing Orli around the room* Not much to say here, but Orli has gotten my brownies!  
  
Oh ya, since this one was short, I'm going to wait to respond to reviews (since I only got THREE for that one!) Then again, it's only 2:00pm, and it's only been up 14 hours...so I might as well give it some more time ^^.  
  
Translations:  
  
Aiya!: Oh!  
  
Taa naa vanima!: It is beautivul!  
  
Tinuamin: my daughter  
  
Diolla lle: Thank you.  
  
Review Review Review!  
  
-The Hobbit Ivy;;;;; 2:09PM 9/14/03 


	10. Trouble

A/N: Ok, I SWEAR I rewrote this chapter about 10 bazillion times!!!!! I'm going to SCREAM if I have to do it any more!!! *pulls hair out*  
  
Orli: She spends practically her to much time on her computer.  
  
Me: It's not a problem, is it?  
  
Orli: She spends practically her whole LIFE on the computer!!!  
  
Me: Well, I'm not hurting you by typing am I?  
  
Orli: Well, no. But I have to deal with you typing about me!  
  
Me: Ok, that's it! *ties Orli to a chair*  
  
BTW, this chappy is going to switch between Leggy and Fanya. I'll let you know when I do change.  
  
-~^*^~-Disclaimer in Ch. 6-~^*^~-  
  
Chapter Nine: Trouble  
  
"Amin mela lle, ada," Fanya told her father as the sun began to rise the next morning.  
  
"Amin mela lle," he hugged her. "Remember all of your training, and be careful." He said to her. She nodded, and suddenly wished that she didn't need to leave. She had become so close to her father for the fifty years that she had spent in Greenwood, and she wished she could spend more time there. 'But, I guess I have the rest of my life to spend here...' she thought. She mounted Morion, who was still as lively and energetic as she was 50 years ago, though many horses would have died long before, she was Elven-bred, and lived for nearly 100 years. Fanya knew that she had little time with Morion left, as she was nearing the age of 80.  
  
"Remember to come back!" He father shouted after she had took off. She smiled and willed her thoughts to go back to her father. 'Of course I will, this is my home, my sanctuary.'  
  
-~^*^~--~^*^~--~^*^~--~^*^~--~^*^~-  
  
As she neared the small human village, she thought that she would rest there until morning, as it was already sundown. She knew it not safe to travel nowadays at night, for orc sightings had multiplied, and evil seemed to be brewing in the lands south of here...  
  
She entered the village and found a small inn. She pulled up her hood to hide her face. She knew what humans did to elves at pubs, and she didn't want anything to happen like that to her. The sign over the door read "Blue Moon Inn" In big blue loopy letters, and there was a massive yellow moon behind it. The sign swayed in the wind, making a terrible creaking sound that made Fanya cringe, her elf-ears ready to fall off.  
  
Walking in, she saw many drunken men and a few tipsy women. She knew what happened to humans when they got too drunk...most of them bad. Watching in horror, she saw one of the women rip off her shirt fully exposing her chest. Fanya looked away, as most of the men in the room pounced on her, as if she was their prey. She heard drinking songs, with most of the words slurred, and she saw plenty of men walking around, fainting, and dripping beer around the whole place.  
  
Only one person seemed to be staying out of the way. She couldn't tell who it was, as they had their cloak hood up, and they were sitting in shadow. She walked to the innkeeper, who seemed the only human in the whole place that wasn't drunk.  
  
"Sir, I am looking for a room to stay in for the night." She said in a voice quite unlike her own.  
  
"Yes..." he checked a list. "Erm...room twelve seems to be free. You can pay in the morning," he said as he wrote something down on the sheet of paper. Fanya nodded, and proceeded to a corner, where there was plenty of darkness to hide her in. She took a flask out of her bag, and drank the water in there, for she didn't even want to know what kind of water they served there.  
  
She noticed the person in the other corner staring at her. At least, she thought he was staring at her. His head was turned in her direction, and it was unmoving. Suddenly a sound made her jump.  
  
"Hello why're yeh over here'n a corner?" one of the wasted men said to her. She didn't respond.  
  
"Why're yeh hid'n yer face?" He asked again.  
  
No answer.  
  
"Well, we can' have that," he said, jerking her out of her seat, which caused her hood to slip and reveal her face.  
  
"Ooh, we have a lady 'ere!" he shouted to the crowd. He took the rest of her hood off with one swift motion, grabbing some of her hair in the process. She squealed in pain, and tried to get away.  
  
"Not only is she a lady, she's'n elf too!" He roared happily to the crowd at the bar, showing off her ears. He ran one rough, dirty finger over the tip of her ear, which caused her to recoil, almost screaming in pain. Then everything went black.  
  
-~^*^~--~^*^~--~^*^~--~^*^~--~^*^~-  
  
Legolas watched her as he came in. She seemed unsure of herself, and had her hood up, but he knew who she was.  
  
She talked to the innkeeper for a minute...Goddamn, was she going to stay here? The idiot. Then she went to sit in an equally dark corner.  
  
He took the time to think about his thoughts. Ok, it was a bit lame to sit there and say 'I'm going to sort out my thoughts!' but he felt he needed to. The elf in the corner was Fanya. He knew that. He had left to deliver the message that his father had given him to Rivendell. What was she doing here though? He would ask her sometime. He was about to stand up to walk over to her, when he noticed that a filthy, drunk man was talking to her. The human jerked her up, revealing her face and her ears. He was showing her off to the crowd...Oh, if he tried anything...then he did. He ran one finger over the tip of her ear. Legolas was ready to murder. He knew how painful it was in a situation like this. He grabbed a chair and threw it at him, yelling "Leave her be!"  
  
Fanya sank into a big heap on the floor. Apparently she had fainted from fear, or from shock at his touching her ear. Legolas, his hood still up, scooped her up, and walked to the innkeeper, who had been staring at the whole thing with an open mouth. Legolas cleared his throat, and said, "Where is this young lady staying?"  
  
"Here, sir. In room twelve." He answered shakily.  
  
"Thank you," He leapt up the stairs, and walked noiselessly to room twelve. Opening it, he walked to the moldy bed, and lay her on it. Then he walked to the door and locked it. He covered up Fanya in a blanket, and sat down in a chair to wait for her to wake up.  
  
-~^*^~--~^*^~--~^*^~--~^*^~--~^*^~-  
  
"Aiya..." groaned Fanya, as she woke up. Her head felt terrible. She remembered last night, and wondered how she had gotten up here in her room. She finally noticed someone sitting in a chair dozing. She screamed, as she realized who it was.  
  
"LEGOLAS GREENLEAF WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY ROOM?"  
  
He jerked awake, and shook his head to rid him of his tiredness. "Well, my lady, You don't remember what happened last night do you?"  
  
"...vaguely..."  
  
"Exactly."  
  
"Well then, what did happen, Mr. Prince?"  
  
"Well, you fainted, and I knocked out the filthy human who was molesting you with a chair." He said plainly and sarcastically.  
  
"And why are you in my room?"  
  
"Because you were bound to ask questions like this when you woke up."  
  
"Oh..." she regained her composure. "Well, I have to be going, so I'll be leaving." She stood up, but immediately sat back down. Her headache was killing her...  
  
"What is wrong, Fanya?" He asked.  
  
She shook her head, but then realized something. "Wait! How do you know my name?" she asked, shocked.  
  
"I'm the prince! I have the power to find these things out!" He said, shrugging.  
  
"Well screw princedom..." she muttered. She had to find some way to get rid of this headache.  
  
"My lady, I'm serious, what is wrong?" Legolas asked, only care in his voice.  
  
"Well," she replied sarcastically, "I just spent the last night in a room with the one elf I hate and had been touched on my EAR by a filthy human!" She said.  
  
That hurt.  
  
"If you insist, I will leave now." He stood up.  
  
"You do that, princy boy..." she mumbled.  
  
A/N: I don't really want to stop right now, but I have to, otherwise the chapter will either go too far into details or I'll start to rant. And you don't WANT TO KNOW ME when I rant.  
  
Orli: *sulk*  
  
Me: I'll give you a cookie if you don't sulk...  
  
Orli: Cookies have sugar...sugar is bad for the complexion... *sulk*  
  
Me: Well, while Orli's sulking, you all can review! And in the meantime, I'll ANSWER reviews!  
  
Review Responses:  
  
Anaka Greenleaf: Well, here's another *I think* long chappy ^^  
  
I'm An Angry Gumball: Hehe...Ya I like your new penname. Lol. Thx, I've never gotten a review with only two words in it! *lol* Thanks for reviewing...TWICE! ^^  
  
Arwen1481: (to your first review) Yes way! Another cliffhanger! *lol* Thx! (to your second review) Wowsers...two reviews *looks impressed* And this is the chappy where she meets up with Legolas again, so I guess that answers your question ^^.  
  
YueMichiruNaragisawaMiko: *gasps for air* long name... Thx, I'm doing my best, I'm glad you like it ^^  
  
Crissy Dowie: *scared look* I promise! I promise! Just NOT THE HAMMIES!!! *runs away*  
  
Tracy: Thank you! Honestly, I can't imagine an angry Leggy, but I have Orli glaring at me right now, and I guess that gives me an idea...lol  
  
A. K. Y. C.: I'm sure you love prezzies...I guess this one would be Christmas...what about Halloween? And Thanksgiving? And Boxing day? AND New years? AND MY BIRTHDAY????? (November 18th ^^) Lol...I promise I won't let you all down! *grins*  
  
Arroz: I know, it really sucks about how that really happens in real life *sad look* And no, she's delivering a message for her father, she's not on the guard...but good guess ^^. Your comment at the end about this story being a really really good one made me feel all fuzzily warm inside! I bounced around for the rest of the day, seriously!  
  
Stargirl1719: Thx for the review!........I'm going! I'm going *writes more*  
  
Ok, that's all the reviews for that chappy! ^^ Still no flames! Whoop!  
  
Just have to put in, if you don't like it, don't bother reading it OR reviewing it. I don't want flames as much as YOU don't like mary-sues.  
  
Enough for this chappy ^^  
  
-The Hobbit Ivy;;;;;; 9:22PM 9/14/03 (well, that was when I originally wrote it, now it's 9:39PM 9/17/03 so you see how much I had to go through to get it right?????) 


	11. More Trouble

A/N: Not much time now *sad face* because I'm at my aunt's house. She had knee surgery earlier this week, and me and my brother were sentenced to take care of her. I brought Orli in my suitcase though!  
  
Orli: Mmmphfagummmmasurpppph.  
  
Me: Oh shoot! I forgot to let him out! *hastily unlatches a zillion latches and zippers*  
  
Orli: *gasps for air*  
  
Me: Sorry, Orlando, but I was so caught up in all those erm...chores that I just plain forgot about you!  
  
Orli: Why are you hiding cookies behind your back?  
  
Me: Oh! The chore was...er...taste-testing cookies!  
  
Orli: Enough about you, lets move on to the chappy because I want to know something.  
  
Me: What?  
  
Orli: Well, this is supposed to be a romance, right?  
  
Me: ...ya...  
  
Orli: Then when do I get to kiss anybody?  
  
Me: You? This is about Legolas Greenleaf. Not Orlando Bloom.  
  
Orli: Well, everybody out there does think of me when they think of Legolas, don't they?  
  
Me: good point...  
  
*Disclaimer in Chapter Six*  
  
Chapter Ten:  
  
"When will this elf ever go away?" Fanya thought as she rode Morion two day s after Legolas had 'saved' her in that inn. She had left, and he had followed. She didn't know why he was following her, but as she turned around, there he was, hardly 10 feet away from Morion's rear end on his horse who was galloping as if there was no tomorrow. Legolas on the other hand seemed to be deep in thought, and was staring absent mindedly off into space. "I wonder what he's thinking about," she though to herself. As if he realized that she was staring at him, he was brought back to reality and he smiled at her. She in turn rolled her eyes and turned back around on her horse.  
  
Seeing that it was nearing sundown, she started looking for a place to rest. Legolas sped up his horse so it was even with hers.  
  
"Follow me, I have been here before and know a place to stop." He said. She gave up her search, and followed Legolas' horse.  
  
-~^*^~-~^*^~-~^*^~-~^*^~-~^*^~-  
  
Legolas was comfortably riding his horse an easy ten feet behind Fanya. He was thinking. It was one of those things he hadn't seriously done for a long time, but riding a horse for a long time with a traveling partner that was less than fond of you wasn't very entertaining. He had spent the last night with her fighting about why he was following her. He merely said that he wasn't following he was traveling on his own. He just happened to decide to travel with an elf maiden. A particularly beautiful elf maiden.  
  
Every move of hers seemed to be more graceful than the rest of elf maidens that he had met. In fact, she was so different than all the other elves that he had met. For one, she didn't live with her mother. He would have to find out that reason later. For another, she looked much older than she was. For a normal 70 year old elf would look like they had just turned 7. She was just as developed as everyone else, even if she was just under a century old. Lastly, she didn't have the features of a normal elf. She seemed to be almost human.  
  
It only took him that argument last night to know that he more than liked her as a friend. Well, if she even was a friend. He had loved how she had shouted at him, loved how every movement was filled with emphasis and feeling, and loved how she was so beautiful.  
  
He was in love.  
  
He didn't see how, but there was just so much about her that was different, and he yearned to know more. He had to know more. And he knew one way to do it.  
  
Finally realizing that she was staring at him, he smiled and sped up his horse. It was almost sundown, so he said calmly, "Follow me, I have been here before and know a place to stop."  
  
It was true. He knew of a sort of oasis with a small lake and plenty of trees. He urged his horse forward and Fanya quickened her pace as well.  
  
"Well. Only one way to find out what would happen if I tell her my feelings." Legolas thought as he neared the little forest.  
  
-~^*^~-~^*^~-~^*^~-~^*^~-~^*^~-  
  
He took me to a small little forest. It was rather cute, but I wasn't sure how safe it was. It was this teeny little place in the middle of nowhere. It was bound to have been visited by plenty of humans, elves, and rangers prior to now. If there wasn't anything there now.  
  
Legolas dismounted, and whispered something to his horse, who grunted and wandered off. Fanya did the same. She trusted her horse enough to not go off somewhere too out of hearing, and knew she would come at the sound of Fanya's call.  
  
"So." Fanya started lamely. "What now?" she asked, even though she knew what to do.  
  
"Start a fire." Came the reply.  
  
There were plenty of places to start fires. There were little heaps of ashes and burnt wood all over the ground, as if everyone had been in a rush to leave and hadn't bothered to clean any of it up.  
  
"Ok then. I'll get the wood." And she started off into the forest. As she collected wood, she sensed a presence behind her. She whipped around, but saw nothing. Nervously, she continued collecting firewood.  
  
As she found the last piece of wood that would be necessary, she felt the same presence. Dropping the firewood, she unsheathed her sword. As she turned around to find out what it was, she was attacked from above.  
  
A pair of hairy legs slithered underneath her arm, while another pair grabbed at her legs. She screamed to the now rapidly dying light as she was hoisted up into the trees.  
  
She still gripped her Mithril sword. She tried to twist around, and hack at whatever was holding her, but when she saw whose arms she was clutched in, she screamed again. A spider. A massive, ugly, black, hairy spider.  
  
A/N: Ok then. That was the chappy. Hope you liked it, it certainly took me long enough to figure out what was going to even happen.  
  
Orli: I got to eat pizza the whole time, too!  
  
Me: And he got to devour pizza underneath my nose while I had...hotdogs and cheese. SCREW the Atkin's diet! *sulk*  
  
AND the review responses:  
  
Arwen1481: I'm getting there! I'm getting there! Trust me, the story IS a romance one! ^^.  
  
Dizzy Izzy: Ooh! Barbecue! My favorite! ^^ Thx for the review!  
  
Mickey: I know, 8 and 9 were very short, but it was necessary, and I'm not the kind of person to skip much time in every chapter, so I guess that everyone will have to deal with the variation of chappys! ^^ lol. Thx.  
  
YueMichiruNaraqisawMiko: Thanks! I love simple reviews! *grins widely*  
  
Inweofnargothrond: Wowsers. One review for EVERY chapter ! oO. THANK YOU for all those pieces of advice, I'm sure I'll try and follow up with a bunch of them, but a few things: Review 1: grammar, I'm big on it too, but hey! We're not all perfect! About the elf/human couples, I'm not going by the book religiously, so there is going to be a BUNCH of twists and turns. Elvish? Ya. I'm going by the grey- company.org stuff, and I'm happy with it. Nope. Not considered as a flame, just as 'constructive criticism' or whatever everyone else calls it...lol Review 2: *looks confuzzled* all this information that I didn't know about? ...well, the thing about three periods instead of one is about the auto- correct on my computer. Got that fixed, and when I have time I might re- write later. Review 3: Flets? I know. Like I said earlier, this is my story, originally Tolkien's work, but my little fiddles with it all ^^. Review 4: Wording...oh the joy. Like I said, I type what I want to... lol. Review 5: The whole 'leggy falls in love with her immediately' is *almost* explained in this chapter. Review 6: I know...5 lines...shoot me. Review 7: (see line above) Review 8: Pfft. Mithril swords hard to get? In MY world, Mithril swords practically rain from the sky! (Lol, just kidding. I'm bored, and I want HUMOR... ^ O) Review 9: Hey! I like that line! *sulks* And it's an INN, sort of like the Prancing Pony (that's kind of what I based the appearance on) OVERALL, I just want to say, it's my own twisted version of FotR, (well, if it GETS anywhere, it might be the whole trilogy...)  
  
Me: Whoa...that was a LONG review response... Hey! Guess what?  
  
Orli: *through mid bite of pizza* Wha..?  
  
Me: My dad has a friend who has a friend who has a friend....  
  
Orli: *interrupts* get on with it.  
  
Me: Who has connections at Hollywood...and...  
  
Orli: and...?  
  
Me: He has TTT extd. Version! *squeals in delight* And all I have to do is be nice to my daddy, and he'll give it to me!  
  
Orli: Which means you'll spend more time watching the tv than write fanfiction.  
  
Me: oh damn...you're right...  
  
Orli: I'm ALWAYS right!  
  
Me: *sulks*  
  
-The Hobbit Ivy;;;;;;;;;; 10:32PM 9/19/03 


	12. Rescue

A/N: I'm sorry...I haven't updated or written at ALL in a few days.  
  
Orli: Isn't it great? *bounces*  
  
Me: I've had a major writers block, and I've had like, three major projects due in one week...  
  
Orli: and she hasn't had a SINGLE chance to threaten me! She's THAT busy!  
  
Me: I'm that busy!  
  
*pauses*  
  
Me: Though I did go to Nordstrom's and buy a whole bunch of shoes...  
  
Orli: She and her mom spent $250 on shoes of all things!  
  
Me: Yep!  
  
*disclaimer in ch. 6* I apologize in advance if this chapter is terrible or pointless or anything, but somehow, I'm just not feeling inspired today...  
  
Chapter Eleven:  
  
Legolas sat down on one of the rotting logs on the ground, his elbows on his knees, his head cradled in his hands. Staring off into the distance, he thought of what it would be like to kiss her...  
  
Stop. You know that would never happen.  
  
Yet it would feel so good, so blissfully perfect to hold her in my arms...  
  
But what would she say, should she know that you feel this way?  
  
A piercing scream shattered Legolas' daydreaming. He stood, and hurried into the forest. "Fanya! Fanya!" he called. "Where are you?!"  
  
The shriek came from a closer place, yet he couldn't figure out where.  
  
"Legolas! LEGOLAS! Look up you dimwitted elf!" he heard her shout at him.  
  
He looked up.  
  
Nearly fainting, he realized that she was in the clutches of a huge, black spider. Fanya was holding her sword, trying with all her might to get away from it, but it was no use. The spider was holding it with a grip so tight; he could see her circulation stopping. It didn't look like it was going to let go anytime soon.  
  
He hoisted himself up into a tree too meet the spider head-on. It clicked it's pincers menacingly at him, its eight eyes flashing at the sight of an elf.  
  
Suddenly, as if it had changed its mind, it dropped Fanya. She went crashing the good 15 feet to the ground. He saw her black out at the impact of the hit. It crept forward to him; its feet making a sort of slithering sound in the trees.  
  
Legolas grabbed his bow and arrow, and aimed a perfect shot at its eyes. As he released it, however, he slightly overbalanced, sending his shot into the night above him. He felt something grab his legs. He quickly unsheathed his dagger and jabbed it into the thing that gripped his legs. It died instantly. But even as he jerked the now bloody dagger out, he heard more spiders. Plenty of them. Too many for comfort.  
  
One of the spiders lunged at him, and he accidentally dropped his dagger. As he whipped his bow and arrows out, he hit only half of them before his arrow stock ran out. He saw no use for his bow to him anymore, as all he could do is whack them with it now.  
  
He retrieved his sword out from his sheath, and fought them, hacking their legs off, then stabbing at their abdomens. But the forces of gravity seemed to have their own idea of fate. As he swung at the last spider, he overbalanced, and fell backwards to the hard, dirt, forest floor. And as he hit the ground, he found only enough energy to grasp Fanya's cold hand.  
  
A/N: Ok. Short chappy. I feel somewhat inspired for the next chapter, so I'll update this, and get on with the next one.  
  
Please don't tell me that my chapters are too short! I've had enough of those, I already KNOW!!!  
  
Orli: Hey! I can't believe that I got knocked out!!!!!  
  
Me: I'm the authoress...and it's not YOU, it's LEGOLAS.  
  
Orli: I've been through this conversation with you. Me and leggy! We're practically the same person!  
  
Me: and the same with you and Will Turner.  
  
Orli: ...oh ya! I'm that too!  
  
Review Responses:  
  
A. K. Y. C.: Thanks! I'm sorry I left you in the corner of your room so long! But I promise the next chapter will be longer, and updated faster...and good luck with your story, I can't wait to read it!  
  
I'm an angry gumball: I agree *stomps on spider*  
  
Zelda 11: Yes I'm on the atkin's diet. I must say, it's not that hard, and I've lost like, 5 pounds *whoop!* Thanks for reviewing!  
  
Lady Zane: I know...I don't know ANYthing about horses, honestly, so all I really want is her on a horse. ^^. Thanks for reviewing!  
  
Guss-Guss: I know! I know! I promise I'll make a really long one, just for you! But unfortunately, I don't have all the time in the world!!! And trust me, this is NOWHERE to the end of the story! NOWHERE!!! It will be a LONG time before I even THINK of an ending! Thx!  
  
Digital-Tiffany: Erm...right...tell me. How do you swallow two whole Popsicles at once??  
  
P3gurl: I've inspired you? Really? Seriously, that is one of the greatest pieces of feedback that I could get as an author! I can't wait to read the next chappy of your story! Really!  
  
Inweofmargothrond: What does AU mean? I'm confuzzled... I know I should read that thing, but I simply don't have the time!!! And I like this elvish better! *smirks* Lol, just kidding. Thanks for the Review!  
  
Dizzy Izzy: Ponder away, girl, because I'm NOT sharing!!! *bwah ha ha!!!* And you'll know soon enough when she'll like him... *evil grin* I'm glad that you liked the spider part, because it took more than half my life away trying to THINK of something good for that chapter! *sighs* Thx for the review!  
  
YueMichiruNaragisawaMiko: I still am overwhelmed by that name...*phew* anyway. To the review... Ya...I figured that it was pretty obvious that Leggy would save her, so I just felt that she should get in some kind of mortal danger before she fell for him... hmm...I guess being almost-spider- food is mortal danger... now she just has to fall for him... *ponders*  
  
Mercuriall: 4 words in a review are better than none! Thanks!  
  
A/N: And I'm serious, I don't want ANY more reviews complaining about length...I already know that I don't have enough spare time to write a proper chapter!!!!! *sniffs*  
  
...and NOW I get to have some Herbal Tea!!!... *goes off to make tea*  
  
Orli: And while she's gone! You can follow these easy steps to brighten her day! 1) scroll down! 2) locate the purply-blue button! 3) Hit it, making sure that it says 'review' and not 'report abuse' (I know, 2 'r's can be VERY confusing! But make sure you don't make the mistake!) and 4) Write a review! I don't care if it's 2 words long! Just send feedback!!!  
  
Me: *from kitchen* and if any of you wanna chat about my story, my AIM's SN is 'Tinuviel2013'. And tell me that you're from FF.net, otherwise I'll get scared and run away or something.  
  
Lol.  
  
-The Hobbit Ivy;;;;;;; 8:30PM 9/23/03 


	13. Dreams

A/N: Ok, I wrote most of this chapter out on paper. You all are lucky that my hand isn't cramped yet! I have written 3 pages (front and back) and one sentence on a 4th page. So be proud! I hope it's long, but long hand is always shorter in type *sigh*.  
  
Orli: And she did 2/3 pages at school!  
  
Me: And I almost got a detention at school because of it!  
  
Orli: Aww...darnet. I wanted you to be tortu... *evil authoress looms over him* treated....nicely...  
  
Me: better....  
  
*Disclaimer in ch. 6*  
  
AND...(I swear this is the last thing) It's strange, but I believe that in dreams, it isn't you there, it's your soul in your image. Ok, a bit creepy, but ya. That takes part in this chapter.  
  
Chapter twelve: Dreams  
  
*dream* Fanya walked through an open field. 'This isn't anything like the forest I was in...' she thought. She wandered aimlessly for another minute when she saw someone. The person appeared to be sleeping. She walked over to them and saw that it was an elf...  
  
The elf's blonde hair cascaded over his fair face, his eyes were closed in slumber. His lips were slightly parted, as his breath was drawn slowly and evenly. Fanya's breath caught in her chest at his flawless face.  
  
He groaned and rolled onto his back, and the even rise and fall of his chest was disturbed as he woke. Sitting up, he studied her, and just as he said "Fanya?" she realized who it was.  
  
A dream form of Legolas sat in front of her. Someone who looked like Legolas, but was in fact his heart and soul of his being, which meant that Fanya could ask anything, and he would answer.  
  
That also meant that he could do the same.  
  
"Fanya?" Legolas said again.  
  
"Legolas?" she asked and he nodded.  
  
He did nothing but stare at her asking silent questions to her soul. As his brown eyes connected with her sapphire blue ones, she felt something hook her heart. As she felt the jerk of her heart, she looked at the thing that had captured it. Legolas.  
  
His flawless complexion seemed to enhance as her stubborn will to get rid of him gave way. His eyes were still locked onto her own as he asked the silent question. "Do you love me?" The words crossed her mind.  
  
She only closed her eyes because she didn't think she knew the answer, yet her heart said 'yes!' her mind shouted back 'no!'.  
  
Pushing down her will into a dark corner of her mind, she slowly nodded. Legolas moved towards her.  
  
"That's what I wanted to know. All I wanted to know. And now I know what to do." He said, his lips right over hers, his breath washing her face. Then almost unexpectedly, she closed the gap as her lips met with his in a slow and sweet kiss. Her hands wandered over his back and up to his hair, which she entwined into her fingers. It felt like water; it slipped through her fingers and cascaded into exactly the same place.  
  
As she felt Legolas deepen the kiss, she did not resist, instead she melted into him, and found herself wishing that she could do more...  
  
As the blissful dream came to an end, she realized that her mind would still hate him, and that her soul would have to conquer that to feel the same way it did now; in love.  
  
Slowly she slipped back into reality, forgetting everything in the dream; everything that had made her feel so enraptured.  
  
*end dream*  
  
Fanya awoke, clutching somebody's hand. To her astonishment, she found that the hand belonged to none other than Legolas Greenleaf.  
  
She only just realized all of the spider corpses then. She screamed at the sight of them and looked down at Legolas. "Did he kill all of them?" she whispered.  
  
Looking down on his fair face, she suddenly felt something twinge in her heart. A sudden yearning to feel his body beside hers bubbled up out of nowhere.  
  
She scrambled back, and stood up, afraid that the feeling would come back. "No Fanya...you can't allow that! You hear me? That's stupid! How could you even think that?" She shouted silently to herself.  
  
She leaned against a tree and curled up into a ball, waiting for something to happen. ANYthing to happen. Fanya dozed for a while, waiting for Legolas to move. It seemed like he was out cold, as if he had been knocked out. Her back ached, as if she had fell down...had it been from the clutches of the spider? What had happened after the spider had gotten her?  
  
A motion distracted her from he thoughts. A groan came from Legolas, as he rolled ovr and rubbed his head.  
  
"Legolas?" Fanya asked. "What happened?"  
  
Legolas turned his attention to her. "Why would you want to know, you hate me," he said sarcastically.  
  
That hurt.  
  
"No...I don't..." she said, mentally slapping herself. Yet some part of her body knew that it was true.  
  
"You don't?" he asked. Fanya then saw something in his eyes; a sort of sparkle, but whatever had been there was gone as soon as she had registered it.  
  
"No. I don't hate you."  
  
"Well apparently you still don't like me, so I'll leave it at that." Said Legolas, standing up. He held out his hand to help her to her feet as well, but she stood up on her own, and started to walk toward the edge of the forest.  
  
The sun had just started to rise, and Fanya noticed the dew on the leaves, sparkling innocently as though the knew nothing of what happened; all they had to do was sparkle.  
  
"Legolas, what happened?" asked Fanya, her curiosity getting the better of her.  
  
Legolas sighed and as they reached the edge of the woods he started talking. "The spider released you from its grip, and you fell and was knocked unconscious by the fall. I stayed up in the trees and defeated all of the spiders, but as I killed off the last one, I overbalanced and was knocked unconscious by the fall as well. And there you have it." He finished.  
  
" I guess that you tell the truth, as I see no other explanation." Said Fanya, as she whistled for Morion to come.  
  
Morion trotted alongside Legolas' horse and nuzzled her master. Fanya smiled and gently rubbed Morion's nose affectionately. She mounted her and waited for Legolas to mount his horse.  
  
-~^*^~-~^*^~-~^*^~-~^*^~-~^*^~-  
  
Her words echoed through his head, "No...I don't hate you..." He was one step closed to her than he was yesterday...or was he further than that?"  
  
A dream that he had last night was fresh in his memory. In the dream he had awaken in another realm with Fanya leaning over him. Well, a form of her.  
  
He asked her whether she loved him, and when her soul answered 'yes', he knew it was only a matter of time before her physical body felt the same way.  
  
But he had to wait. He had to be patient while her mind realized that the yearning in her heart was really a yearning for love.  
  
A/N: And there you have it! My world has taken a definite upswing, as two out of the three major projects are done, tests are taken care of, and reviews are rolling in. ^^. I know it's weird about the whole 'your dream form is your soul' thing but hey! I'm weird!  
  
Orli: And you've JUST figured that out?  
  
Me: No, but you have.  
  
Orli: ANYwho...  
  
Me: My friend would kill you if she heard the word...  
  
Orli: anywho?  
  
Me: NO! YOU SAID IT!  
  
Orli: ANYWHO!  
  
Me: *cringe*  
  
Orli: ANYWHO! ANYWHO! ANYWHO!  
  
Me: *flinchcringe* onto the responses!  
  
Review Responses:  
  
Mercuriall: I'm glad that you liked it! I was a bit bored when I wrote it, and then I went into a MAJOR writers block, so I'm glad you took the time to review! ^^  
  
P3gurl: *eye twitches, then clings onto Orli's leg* Like I said, I'm glad that I was your inspiration. ^^ I love your story as well, and I hope that you update it soon!  
  
Anaka Greenleaf: I guess we all forget that authors have lives to live. Except summer. THEN I don't have a life at ALL. Lol. I'm super-happy that you like this story! Thx!  
  
Digital-tiffany: No, Leggy isn't hurt, but he DID fall, like, 15 feet, so that MIGHT hurt a BIT. Ok, more than a bit. A LOT. Thankx for the review! ^^  
  
YueMichiruNaragisawaMiko: Well...this is fiction! And I wanted to make it a dramatic fall... *ponders* And I know. Most of my cliffhangers REALLY suck...  
  
Inweofnargothrond: Thx for the advice of going there...I might do it. And thx for explaining the AU thing, I NEVER get those... lol.  
  
Blu-eyed-belle: NO. HE'S MINE. *attaches herself to orli's leg*. But yes. I did mean to make Legolas seem kind of un-perfect, because everyone thinks that he doesn't make mistakes, and I mean, every being makes mistakes, so I made him fall off a tree branch! *whoopsiedasie!* Thanks for the review!  
  
A/N: Lol. Most of my reviews had something about saying sorry that they complained about long chapters...and I laughed at most of them...hmm... Well, I better post this thing...  
  
Orli: Did I ever mention that every review she gets, she feeds me? So feed me! Review!!!  
  
-The Hobbit Ivy ;;;;;;;;; 6:45PM 9/26/03 


	14. Confessions

A/N: Due to...many requests...I have released Orli from his chair. He is now sitting right beside me, watching me type, and eating lucky charms.  
  
Orli: I love lucky charms! The little marshmallows are great!  
  
Me: ...and he ONLY eats the marshmallows...  
  
Orli: Can I have some more pleez? *holds up bowl with no marshmallows*  
  
Me: No. People have to review first.  
  
Orli: ...darn...  
  
*chapter 6 has the disclaimer*  
  
This chappy has a lot of internal conflict on both of their parts...lol "..." is speech, and '...' is thoughts/speaking to themselves.  
  
Chapter Thirteen:  
  
As Fanya and Legolas came to a place they could rest two days after the spider incident, Fanya dismounted, and lit a fire.  
  
Legolas pulled out some Lembas bread from his pack and offered some to her, and she accepted it.  
  
Strange feelings and thoughts had been stirring up inside her, yet she didn't know what it was. Every time she saw Legolas, her heartbeat raced, and her breathing became shallow. Everything about him seemed to be so perfect, and his movements seemed to be so coordinated and graceful.  
  
No. She couldn't feel this way! It was all so new to her, and it frightened her. Frightened her almost as much as the spider incident; just in another way.  
  
Two hours later, as the fire was just starting to burn out, Legolas broke the eerie silence that had been hovering over them for the past two days. "Fanya, come over here. Sit with me, you would be warmer."  
  
Which was true. Because the fire was dying out, she started to shiver. She tried to hide it from Legolas, but he, being the perfect elf he was, always saw. Fanya shook her head, and clutched her cloak around her tightly. Legolas just sighed, stood up, and walked over to her across the fire. She closed her eyes, almost trying to mentally force him away, yet it didn't seem to work. Legolas sat down right beside her and slid his arm around her.  
  
'Ooh...that feels good. To have him so close to me...'  
  
'No. Stand up, and move away.'  
  
'I don't really feel like it, it is just so relaxing.'  
  
'You can't allow this! You're falling for him!'  
  
'I'm not...I'm just letting him become closer to me. I haven't fallen for him...'  
  
'Yes you have! Just being around him makes you feel rapture of the greatest kind!'  
  
'Ok...yes...that may be true...'  
  
'You've fallen for him you lousy half elf! I thought you swore that you would hate him for eternity!'  
  
Fanya's conscience battled, and she finally pushed the battle down far into a dusty corner of her mind.  
  
She sighed. Nowhere else would she feel so content.  
  
But what did Legolas think? Did he feel the same way? Did he really want her to be this close to him? Did he just see her as a friend? What would kissing him feel like?  
  
She looked up into his eyes, to be met with an equally unbroken stare.  
  
Suddenly, something broke the surface of her memory.  
  
'His eyes were still locked onto her own as he asked the silent question. "Do you love me?" The words crossed her mind.  
  
She only closed her eyes because she didn't think she knew the answer, yet her heart said 'yes!' her mind shouted back 'no!'.  
  
Pushing down her will into a dark corner of her mind, she slowly nodded. Legolas moved towards her and kissed her...'  
  
-~^*^~-~^*^~-~^*^~-~^*^~-~^*^~-  
  
Legolas stared deeply into her sapphire blue eyes. They were flooded with emotions, thoughts, and he even detected a bit of...  
  
Love.  
  
How could that be? She hated him. He watched as her eyes flickered, as though she was remembering something. She broke eye contact with him, and stared at her hands, which were in her lap. Her memory seemed to have disturbed her in some way; whether it be good or bad...he wondered what she had remembered.  
  
Suddenly, a movement brought him back to reality. Fanya had stood up, and walked away from him.  
  
-~^*^~-~^*^~-~^*^~-~^*^~-~^*^~-  
  
"Fanya?" Legolas said, confusion etching his perfect face.  
  
She had stood up, and walked over a few paces to a nearby tree. Still not facing him, she said, "Legolas, no..."  
  
"No, what?" he almost yelled, "I do not understand!"  
  
'Now is the time. Now is the right time to tell him. Do it NOW, Fanya!'  
  
'I can't!' she shouted back at her conscience.  
  
'Don't be silly!'  
  
'But...'  
  
'Just do it!'  
  
'Alright...'  
  
"Legolas," she started shakily,  
  
"Fanya, what is the matter? What do you mean 'no'? I wish to know!" he told her, care etched in every part of his face.  
  
She took a deep breath, and started. "Legolas, you make me feel... different..."  
  
He walked over to her, to where she was facing the tree, and gently turned her around. Her features flickered in the dying firelight, and the moonlight gave her a sort of eerie, yet beautiful glow.  
  
"...You make me feel so..."  
  
"So, what...?" Legolas gently put in, as he took his hand in hers.  
  
Fanya closed her eyes, and tried to figure out a word that could describe her feelings, but found none. Instead, she took a wild chance, and leaned in, and planted a feather light kiss on his cheek.  
  
Not so involved, just a general display of affections...for now.  
  
-~^*^~-~^*^~-~^*^~-~^*^~-~^*^~-  
  
Legolas felt her lips press onto his cheek. Just that simple motion made him want to jump for joy.  
  
He took a minute to weigh his chances. Fanya just openly stated that that she saw him as more than a friend. He could kiss her, or he could wait for a while.  
  
He would wait. He didn't want to rush things...or did he?  
  
He kissed her forehead, and whispered, "You should rest. We are almost to Gondor,"  
  
"We?"  
  
"I will stay with you until we reach the outermost gate. Then I must depart to Rivendell."  
  
"Uma, Legolas."  
  
"Quel Kaima, Fanya," He whispered as she lay down beside the fire. In an instant, she fell asleep. And in a whisper, he said, "You are a beauty that surpasses all, until we part, no harm will come to you... Amin mela lle, Fanya Helyan, ten'oio."  
  
-~^*^~-~^*^~-~^*^~-~^*^~-~^*^~-  
  
As Fanya closed her eyes, and her breathing started to even, she heard, in the faintest whisper that she could detect, a voice saying gently "You are a beauty that surpasses all, until we part, no harm will come to you...Amin mela lle, Fanya Helyan, ten'oio."  
  
Now that was sweet.  
  
She smiled to herself as she drifted into a light sleep.  
  
A/N: Ok...I've spent the whole day working on this, because I'm sick... *sniff*. Even though it's not as long as the other chapter, I felt that this was an interesting chapter in itself...Finally Fanya realizes that she's in love! *squeals*...I don't want to rush it for her, so this is a good foundation for it, is it not?  
  
Orli: *eats more lucky charms*  
  
Me: And legolas got 4 bowls of lucky charms, for the 4 lovely people who reviewed! ^^  
  
Translations: (I actually had elvish in this chapter!! Wow!) Amin mela lle: I love you (awwwwwwww!) Ten'oio: forever (double awwwwww!) Quel kaima: Sleep well Uma: yes (in case you all don't know)  
  
...and the review responses: A.K.Y.C.: Ya. I think I'm going to torture you for a while. Major romance comes in later in the story...trust me.  
  
Digital-tiffany: I'm sorry about your friend, really. I hope that you will get over it quickly, and I offer the best of luck to her family, because I know how hard it is to get over something like that. And it's not your fault. Although you may think it is, there is little you can do to change a person's mind in a situation like drunk driving. Thanks for the review! I hope you still like this story!  
  
P3gurl: *hands bowl of lucky charms to Orli*  
  
Inweofnargothrond: thanks! I always try to throw in creativity, so it's not totally an obvious plot... and somehow I guess it makes enough sense to me; so I apologize that it was confusing to you. ^^.  
  
A/N: ...honestly, I'm like, just waiting for the day that brings a flame! Its very creepy having so many people like what your writing!......not saying that I want a flame, just saying that when the day comes, it'll be very...I dunno. Weird...lol.  
  
Orli: *holds up bowl with no marshmallows* More! More!  
  
Me: No. Not now. Wait for the reviews to come.  
  
Orli: *sulk*  
  
-The Hobbit Ivy 9:12PM, 9/28/03 


	15. Just One Thing

A/N: OMG I AM SORRY WITH ALL OF MY HEART!!! I have suffered from some kind of writers block syndrome, and I don't seem to be getting ANYWHERE. I just thought that you all ought to know, because I thought that someone would kill me. *shies away from knife* Orli, I have so conveniently sat in front of the TV and he's obsessed with watching Disney channel.  
  
Orli: Shhh! Kim Possible is on now!  
  
Me: and his favorite is Kim Possible for reasons unknown to me.  
  
Orli: SHHH!!!  
  
Me: And here's the chapter.  
  
Chapter Fourteen: Just One Thing.  
  
The days remaining until Fanya and Legolas reached Gondor were slowly fading.  
  
As they stopped for the night, Fanya dismounted and leaned against a tree. 'How did it come to this?' Fanya asked herself on the last day, just as the sun set behind the hill. She could see Minas Tirith in the distance with her sharp eyes. 'Why is it when something good in my life happens, it is always snatched away from me?'  
  
Legolas lit the fire, and beckoned her towards him. She smiled shyly and complied. She settled himself in Legolas' arms; it seemed to be a perfect mold to her body.  
  
She sighed and closed her eyes, her heart content with just hearing his steady heartbeat. Legolas' arms were wrapped around her in a comforting way, which made her feel safe. She let her head rest in the crook of his neck, oblivious to everything in the world.  
  
-~^*^~-~^*^~-~^*^~-~^*^~-~^*^~-  
  
Legolas closed his eyes as Fanya settled herself beside him. He decided he would ask one of the many burning questions.  
  
"Fanya...?" he murmured into her hair.  
  
"Uma?" she replied, looking up into his eyes.  
  
"I do not know much about you, yet I desire to." He said slowly, trying to not offend her. "What of your past? Your family? Your life?"  
  
Suddenly, she tore her eyes away from his and gazed at the White City. There were small tears welling up in her eyes, yet she struggled to keep them from falling. "Legolas, you will know when the time comes. 'Tis not important. Not now."  
  
"Very well. I can wait." He replied, planting a chase kiss on her forehead.  
  
-~^*^~-~^*^~-~^*^~-~^*^~-~^*^~-  
  
'Ai, Illuvatar, why does he have to ask that question?' Fanya thought. She averted her eyes, and gave a simple answer, telling him to wait.  
  
Her mind spun off in a direction that she didn't want it to. She remembered what she was traveling to do, and how she would have to face her family once again.  
  
Her mind was telling her that she couldn't do it, yet another smaller part of her head encouraged her to take the final step, and face her family once more.  
  
When she finally allowed her gaze to wander back to Legolas, she found him staring at her. Every caring emotion was plainly readable in his eyes. His brown gaze made her melt, and she finally made a decision.  
  
She would tell Legolas one thing. Just one.  
  
"Legolas,' she said cautiously, "There is one thing that you can know..."  
  
"Mani?" he said quickly.  
  
She took a slow breath. "I am a peredhil."  
  
"You're what?" Legolas gasped. Thousands of questions erupted in his mind.  
  
"I'm a half-elf, my mother was Gondorian." She said, her voice full of shame. 'I knew he would take it this way...' she thought.  
  
"Fanya, that is nothing to be ashamed of!" He said, seemingly sending her thought waves.  
  
"Yes it is. My mother and father were not meant to be together." Tears had started working themselves out of her eyes. "They are of different races." She replied coldly, standing up sharply and turning away from him. Legolas quickly rose, and rushed around her. But she turned from him wherever he went.  
  
"Fanya, stop." he finally was able to command.  
  
She stopped moving away from him, which allowed him to position himself in front of her. Her gaze was directed at their feet; she was determined not to let him see her tear-stained face.  
  
"Fanya," he told her surely, "You're parents, human or elf, were meant to be together, because you were meant to be here. You see?" He moved her head up to meet his gaze. He rubbed his thumbs on her cheeks, drying her tears. "Do you understand?" he whispered.  
  
"Uma," was all she could reply, before Legolas pressed his lips against hers.  
  
A/N: I know I know I know. I don't care about length, because I'm tired, I have school, and I needed to get a chapter up before people start complaining. I thought that you deserved something rather than nothing. Next chappy, Leggy leaves the pictures for a while, and Fanya meets up with her 'lil sis! Ooh joy!  
  
Oh, by the way, I think I got a flame...not sure though. They told me they liked my story, but then they told me to get a life...hmm...how does that work out?  
  
Review responses:  
  
Brooke: Well, sorry about the delay! Thanks for dropping a review!  
  
Darkness Eternal: That's ok, the little poem was enough diversity for one story! Lol!  
  
Elerrina: Yes! Ooh goody romance! But guess what?! MORE romance, BETTER romance later! *cheers!*  
  
P3gurl: Orli did nothing to make me feel better, he was just eating lucky charms *glares at him* But that's ok. I'm feeling better, and life has taken an upswing. Sort of. Writers block stinks though.  
  
Crystal Snowflakes: OMG! I can't believe that you read my story! *rants on about how you should go read her fics* Thanks! I really like the review!  
  
Blu-eyed-belle: Sure...you and orli...together... *rolls eyes* Lol, jk. I'm feeling much better, but Fanya isn't! She's beating herself up for something she can't change! Lol! Thanks for the review!  
  
NHOI: Ah...the eternal, 'I-like-your-story-but-you're-stupid-and-you-should- get-a-life-person'. Tell me, was that a flame? If it was, I thought it was rather funny! Frankly, this is what I consider a good story, and that if you have something bad to say, then you can just read what other people said about it, and review then. I know that it's not the best piece of work that is out there, but it is some of the best work that I can put out. It you can't deal with that, then you shouldn't read or review my story.  
  
YueMichiruNaragisawaMiko: Thanks! I hope that I can put out more in the future!  
  
Digital-Tiffany: I'm glad you're feeling better, and I hope that you liked the chappy!!! ^^  
  
Inweofnargothrond: I'm getting there, I'm getting there! You know, all this criticism is good for me! Lol! I'm just not sure that in the near future there will be some major plot swing, because I'm honestly not feeling motivated.  
  
Pottaluvva: Thanks, but I do try and make the chapters as long as my free time allows! Sorry about the shortie one though!  
  
A/N: Mom will kill me more than you all will if I don't finish my homework, so I gotta leave now...  
  
Orli: Make her not change the channel! Review!!!  
  
-The Hobbit Ivy, 9:17PM, October 6, 2003 


	16. Arriving in Minas Tirith

A/N: Hello all! I'm sorry I didn't get a chappy to y'all sooner, but I was really busy last week. Orli's in the shower, because I permitted him to leave his chair.  
  
Orli: *singing* A pirates life for me!  
  
Me: Doesn't he have the sexiest accent? *melts*  
  
*Disclaimer in ch. 6*  
  
Chapter Fifteen: Arriving in Minas Tirith  
  
Changed ever-so-slightly from original version!!!  
  
*Dream*  
  
Fanya suddenly found herself in Rivendell, a place she had only been to once. The turrets and towers of the palace loomed over her and the intricacy of every building amazed her. It had a majestic air to it, almost making time stand still.  
  
Smiling, she looked over to where a group of nine people were standing. There were four short, curly-haired creatures that looked like human children. A dwarf, with the most tangled beard and hair she had ever seen. Two of them were men. She recognized one as Boromir, son of Denethor. son of the Steward of Gondor; and another who she knew as Strider. He was cleaner than last time she saw him, when he arrived with that Gollum creature in Mirkwood. His wavy dark hair was combed, and he looked as though he'd had decent rest, and a bath or two. He was talking to Arwen, who was looking very sad. A wizard, who was wearing robes of gray, and one more person: Legolas. He was talking to an elven lady; who she was, Fanya didn't know. Fanya walked over to them, but they didn't seem to notice her. She could hear what he was saying to her.  
  
"It has been many summers since I last saw you, and I'm afraid we must part again, Larien," he was saying in a low voice, as if trying to block others out.  
  
"Yes, it has," she replied, "Indeed, I am saddened that you must leave on such a perilous quest. Can't you stay?"  
  
"Nay, I cannot. I have to do my duty as a prince. Namaarie Larien, Tenna ento lye omenta," he whispered, and he leaned in as if he was going to kiss her. Fanya turned away, unable to bear it.  
  
She was shocked. How could he do this? How could he just turn around to another girl? Didn't he like me?  
  
She couldn't stand it any longer. She stomped off and sat down on a bench and cried. Didn't he even want her? What was he doing with another she-elf? What was the quest that Larien had talked about?  
  
Rivendell slowly dissolved and Fanya's conscience stirred, as she woke to the chilly morning.  
  
*End dream*  
  
Fanya was jerked back into reality as her disturbing dream ended. What had that been about?  
  
She felt betrayed. She knew that elves rarely dreamed, and when they did, it was often seeing the future... in one way or another. She rose and brushed herself off, glancing at the sleeping form of Legolas. A fire kindled in her. That she-elf in the dream! He kissed her! She walked silently to Morion, gathered up what she had brought, mounted and kicked Morion into action.  
  
She had woken approximately an hour before dawn, and soon the saw the day's first light creep over the horizon.  
  
Amazingly, she found herself at the gate to the massive city of Minas Tirith about an hour after sunrise. The guards still looked groggy and a bit stoned, but they were conscious enough to stop her and ask of her name and her errand.  
  
"M'lady," one addressed her. "Who are you and what business do you have in the White City?"  
  
"I am Fanya Helyan, daughter of Linque Helyan, and I am here on family matters." She replied, feeling her stomach twist at the thought of her family.  
  
"You may pass." He told her. The guard at the other side of the gate stared openly at her as she urged Morion ahead. "Pervert..." she muttered to herself.  
  
Through the next gate, and the next gate she went, until she finally reached the small area in which she could find her family. Peasants stared at her attire and her sword, whispering about women wielding such weaponry.  
  
She spotted a house about 100 yards from where she sat atop Morion. Her heart skipped a beat. The accursed house in which she had been raised; the house where she had been abused; the house that she had finally and thankfully left. The house she had hoped never to see again...yet here she was.  
  
There was suddenly a squeal. "Look, mommy! An elf! A real elf!"  
  
"Terra, that's no way to act in public!"  
  
"But mommy, an elf!"  
  
The little girl, who looked to be about 6, dragged her mother over to Fanya, who dismounted and smiled at the embarrassed mother. "It's ok, I understand." She told her. She turned to the child and kneeled to be at her level of eyesight. "Hello, my name is Fanya," she said sweetly to her.  
  
"My name's Terra." Said the little human girl, who seemed to be very shy talking to strangers. It made quite no sense, for she had just openly pointed her out. Fanya gently rubber her arm, and told her softly,  
  
"Terra, would you like to ride my horse?"  
  
The girls eyes grew so wide, and the shy little girl she had just seen disappeared completely. "Oh Mommy! Can I? Can I?" she pleaded with her.  
  
Her mother was staring at Fanya strangely. She nodded vaguely and gave her consent. Fanya took the child in her arms and sat her atop her horse, holding her in place. She whispered to Morion to walk slowly around. Terra squealed in delight and when she was lifted off of Morion she kissed Fanya on the cheek; 'a rather cute little gesture.' Fanya thought to herself.  
  
The mother was still looking at Fanya, as if she recognized her. She was about 30, and couldn't have known her.  
  
"M'lady, are you alright?" Fanya asked with concern as Terra stood on her tip-toes to scratch Morion's nose.  
  
"Did you say your name was Fanya?" the woman asked her.  
  
"Yes, that is my name. Why do you ask?" Fanya was very curious to know what she knew.  
  
"I think I know someone you will want to see..." she smiled at her, and waved for her to follow. "Terra, come, dear. We are going to go see Grandmother,"  
  
Fanya stood staring perplexedly at them. 'Ok...I'm going to go see Terra's grandmother. What does this lady have anything to do with me?' she thought.  
  
"Excuse me," she said, grabbing Morion's reins and hurried to them. "What is your name? I don't rightly know." She asked her.  
  
"Gerin, youngest daughter of Barthon," she replied, leading her through the town, twisting, going up steps, turning down streets, and passing quite a lot of houses in the process. Fanya was still curious as to where she was being led to, but soon her questions were answered as she came to a house on the end of a streed. Terra hurried ahead, squealing "Grandmother, Grandmother! Look who we found!"  
  
A lady around the age of 50 came out. "Terra, what did you do with your mother?" she asked her, smiling.  
  
"She's over there, with my new friend! She let me ride her horse, and she's an ELF too!" she practically stumbled over trying to get the words out all at once. Her grandmother turned her attention to Fanya.  
  
Her eyes widened and she whispered "Illuvatar, bless my soul... Is that really you?"  
  
Fanya suddenly realized who this must be. "Ana?"  
  
A/N: Ok. Orlando has successfully drained my bottle of shampoo, conditioner, AND body wash!  
  
Orli: At least I smell good!  
  
Me: Still! You could have left some for my brother! HE at least NEEDS to smell good!  
  
Brother: I don't need to smell good!  
  
Orli: *faints because of smell*  
  
Me: Look what you did!  
  
Brother: *shrugs* Oh well!  
  
Translations: Namaarie: Farewell  
  
Tenna ento lye omenta: Until we meet again  
  
Review Responses:  
  
P3gurl: Hehe lol. It might be because of rufis *ponders*  
  
ElijahFreak: Thanks for the review, but Eámanë, please, you could have just CALLED me. (For anyone besides her reading this, she's my friend and I was watching her write the review! Lol)  
  
A.K.Y.C.: I totally understand. I ALWAYS read late into the night, lol. Thanks for the review, and I'm doing my best to resist making it fluffy romance, but it's just so hard! Lol...  
  
Crystal Snowflakes: Ya, I understand what you mean, but it had to be something drastic to make Leggy flip! Thanks for the review!  
  
Feanen: Thanks!  
  
Lady of Arnor: Thanks for betaing this chappy for me! ^^  
  
Elerrina : Well, I hope this satisfies you for now ^^. Thanks for the review!  
  
NHOI: Stop acting like you know everything. And why are you still reading this if you don't want to? And ya, I know that most reviews are saying that they think my story's cute, but I don't have any control over what people review like! And the Orli thing, it's just fun! I don't really believe that he would come to my house and do all that stuff! Can't you take a joke?  
  
Boy Crazy Magician Chick: It's ok, I understand! We all have lives! ^^ thanks!  
  
Digital-tiffany: Thanks for the review! I always love them; they're so entertaining! ^^  
  
Kellyn Smith: Thank you! And I would like to congratulate you as my 100th reviewer! *huggles*  
  
BruisedSkies: Thanks for reading ^^...and most importantly reviewing! I always like it when I get new readers! ...I don't know how he feels about Count Chocula...only one way to find out!  
  
A/N: *dances around* I got 101 reviews! *throws party* I'm happy to announce that there are new readers, and I am on the favorite authors list of 16 people! Magical Soul, Angelic Elf, Hellooo2, Arinel, Vampire Elf Girl, MysticMoonBabe, Mai18, a.k.y.c., JackSparrowSavvyWench, Arwen1481, Anaka Greenleaf, digital-tiffany, ChalcedonyEye, p3gurl, potterluvva, and Ardonelle Celebrindal! Thank you all! And I finally found a beta, Ardonelle, and she'll be doing her best to help me ^^.  
  
Happy dayz! -The Hobbit Ivy; 11:06AM 10/13/03 


	17. Rivendell

A/N: I have officially broken my writers block. *throws confetti* It is a known fact that if you stare at Aragorn long enough it will cure ALL writers block! For all who are reading this, a reviewer (god bless her) pointed out that only 50 years had passed and Ana is not 70, she's about 50. I didn't realize that my fingers hit the wrong number...so sorry for the misunderstanding... I went back and changed it so don't worry! ^^  
  
Orli: Haha! You need to type more carefully!  
  
Me: Oh shut up.  
  
Orli: I'm not going to! Nyah nyah!  
  
Me: Anyhow, I am taking certain liberties with the characters (in this chappy, there's a short thing about a leggy-arwen romance). So, flamers, go away.  
  
*Disclaimer: I own: Fanya, her mom, dad, siblings, horse, and life. Tolkien owns: *lists every person, place, and thing in Middle Earth* *gasps for breath* Oh...and he owns himself.  
  
Super thanks to my beta, Ardonelle Celebrindal!  
  
Chapter 16:  
  
Faint noises of movement brought Legolas back to the real world the next morning. He ignored it, and drifted back into slumber.  
  
When he fully awoke, about a half hour before the sun would rise, judging by the light.  
  
He sat up and stretched, expecting to see the sleeping form of Fanya next to him where it had lain the night before, but she wasn't there.  
  
He twisted his body trying to see his surroundings, but even with his sharp eyes, in the dim light he could see nothing or no one; just the outline of trees and bushes.  
  
What if she was attacked? What if she had been kidnapped by orcs? By men?  
  
But that was almost impossible. No, very impossible. I am an elf. I would have heard if she had been kidnapped! Orcs are too loud, and men smell too bad. There was no sign of any struggle, just of the light footfalls of Fanya. He crouched low to the ground and tried to trace where she had gone.  
  
There was a set of footprints that led to where the packs were, and then next to his own horse. Then they disappeared, and the only prints were of her horse galloping away.  
  
So she wasn't taken away by some mindless band of orcs. There was really only one reasonable reason...she had left intentionally.  
  
But why? Why had she left so suddenly? Was it something he had said last night? What had driven her to abandon him before a serious relationship could develop?  
  
He would just have to answer that question later, as he still had business to attend to.  
  
-~*^*~-~*^*~-~*^*~-~*^*~-~*^*~-  
  
20 days of hard riding soon brought Legolas into a state of sheer exhaustion. When he finally rode down into the valley and entered the city he almost fell off his horse, ready to crawl into a comfy bed and sleep.  
  
A loud 'shhhh!' and a soft giggle came from somewhere to his left. His eyes wandered to the side and he noticed a ranger and an elf maiden practically on top of each other on a bench in the wood.  
  
The ranger, Aragorn was a tall man with shoulder-length dark brown hair, usually a mass of knots and tangles. He normally wore the clothing of a ranger, breeches, a tunic, cloak, and several layers of needless leather, along with a sword, maybe a dagger attached to his body here and there. But now he was wearing much cleaner outfit of a simple dark material. He quickly composed himself (Legolas could have sworn he saw him blush) and stood up. "Legolas, mae govannen, mellonamin. Sut naa lle?" he asked after a short embrace.  
  
"Quel, sut nae lle omenta yassen i'Umdomiel?*"  
  
"Saiquel," Aragorn muttered before changing the subject. "Tell me, how did your travels fair?"  
  
Legolas stopped himself before answering a lie. "Mellonamin*, I would rather speak of this later, privately."  
  
"Very well, mellon*," he replied with a short nod of understanding.  
  
"Come, Legolas Thrandulion*, I will show you to your quarters, since you look as if you could collapse here and now." Said the Undomiel, standing up and approaching the two of them.  
  
He nodded and murmured a word of thanks to his horse, then following Arwen while Aragorn led his horse to the stables.  
  
"Your arrival has been anticipated for nearly two weeks," Arwen said, trying to strike up a conversation with the fatigued elf. She could tell there was something different with him, but could not put her finger on it. "I would greatly like to know what kept you." She prompted him.  
  
"I was...delayed." Legolas answered in almost a whisper.  
  
"But pray tell, what delayed you?" she inquired. But after a long silence, she added softly, "or who..."  
  
She saw his eyes flicker in memory, and she knew. "Ya naa re?*" Arwen whispered.  
  
"Re naa vanima tar nausa, e'dolamin. Re aa'na peredhil, nan're na ner Tanya amin antamin...*" he said after a brief pause.  
  
"Lle naa lantien mela,*" Arwen breathed.  
  
"Uma, namin...*"  
  
They reached the door to Legolas' room. Arwen stood in shock after hearing such fair words spoken from the mouth of her friend who had always been so easygoing in front of her. Who was this elf, no, half elf that he had fallen in love with? All these questions would have to be answered later.  
  
Legolas gave her a short head bow while muttering "Diolla lle,*" and entered his rather large room for a guest.  
  
Without even removing his boots, he collapsed onto his bed and drifted into immediate slumber.  
  
-~^*^~-~^*^~-~^*^~-~^*^~-~^*^~-  
  
Feeling fully refreshed and recovered the next morning; he crawled off the welcoming bed and into the adjacent bathroom. In it was a very large tub full of steamy water. He gratefully peeled off his clothing and sunk into the bath, feeling the warm water work wonders on his aching muscles. He picked up the bar of soap that was resting on the edge of the tub and started to scrub off all the dirt and grime that he had acquired over the past month of traveling.  
  
'Being clean only feels this good after a long orc raid...' he thought to himself as he stepped out of the now-cooling water and dried himself off.  
  
Running a comb through his damp hair he decided not to do anything with it, and let it do it's own thing for a while. After all, what hurt would it do? Elves never have bad hair days!  
  
He pulled on a silver tunic and darker colored breeches that he noticed had been left out for him by a servant, probably. As he stepped out of the bathroom, he finally realized how beautifully decorated this room was. There were flowers and such hung on the walls, which were a lovely orange- tan color, which was extremely comforting. Here and there was a painting of elves or nature on the wall, and there was a balcony that connected to other rooms. After quite a long time of just standing around looking at the room, and practically doing nothing, he coaxed himself out of the beautiful room.  
  
He wandered up and down the hallways, amazed at the detail and intricacy of everything there. He had been to Rivendell before, yes, but that had been when he was young and carefree. He also had plenty of a distraction to make him pay no attention at all to what was around him.  
  
Ah...the distraction nearly 2000 years ago was approaching him from a hallway to the right of him.  
  
"Quel amrun*, Arwen," he said to her, bowing slightly.  
  
"Quel amrun, Legolas," she replied. He waited for her to catch up with him, and walked beside her. She was still as beautiful as she was 2000 years ago; the long raven hair, the enchanting gray eyes, the graceful smile...it all brought fond memories of mischief and excitement. Yet it also brought memories of love, and of passion.  
  
For when the two met, they instantly liked each other. Even at a mere age of 500, the two were sneaking around with Arwen's twin brother's Elladan and Elrohir, causing mischief and mayhem around the palace. Later on in their life though, When the two elves were about 1000 years old, Legolas traveled with his father to Rivendell on business. How he had pleaded and pleaded to go with him, for he wanted to see Arwen and Elladan and Elrohir again; to have as much fun as he did last time he was there. His father had at first said 'no', but after much persuasion, Legolas managed to worm his way into the trip.  
  
As soon as Legolas and his father had entered the gates of Rivendell, Arwen had rushed out to greet them.  
  
What he had beheld that day was amazing. Arwen was no longer an elfling, but almost a fully developed woman. She had been beautiful when she was young, but now she had surpassed ethereal.  
  
She threw her arms around Legolas' neck when he dismounted and he somehow was instantly smitten with her.  
  
A month passed, which contained many nights alone in the woods, walking, talking and kissing. Lord Elrond and King Thranduil both seemed oblivious; tending to their own businesses and staying in their own little world.  
  
The night before Legolas was supposed to leave Arwen and Legolas took it a bit further. Had anyone walked into Arwen's room, they would have found two sleeping elves, naked, and entwined in each others arms.  
  
Yet the love that had blossomed was short lived, and in the blink of an eye it was over. Legolas tried his best to stay away from Rivendell, for he feared it would damage his friendship with Arwen further.  
  
But now he was here, In Rivendell for unknown purposes, walking alongside his former lover.  
  
-~^*^~-~^*^~-~^*^~-~^*^~-~^*^~-  
  
They walked in silence as each of the elves recalled their short relationship in their memories...the sweetness and the bitterness of it all was overwhelming, yet none of them regretted it.  
  
The two entered the dining hall and Legolas instantly registered one thing: It wasn't just elves eating breakfast.  
  
There were humans, like Aragorn who had approached them and snaked his arm around Arwen's waist (much to the displeasure of Elrond).  
  
And there were dwarves; Illuvatar knows what they're doing here.  
  
Also there were short little curly-haired creatures, halflings. Two of them were making their way up and down a table full of food, stuffing their faces, and taking quite a long time at the mushrooms.  
  
Legolas walked over to the food table and took a small wafer of Lembas for both him and Arwen. He quickly walked back to Arwen, handed her the Lembas and retreated out of the hall.  
  
Thinking about a previous relationship was a bad idea. It only made him think of Fanya. Not that he didn't want to, it's just he always questioned their relationship when he thought of her. 'I'll practice archery...that'll take my mind off of everything...' he concluded. He received a few curious stares as he jogged back through the twists and turns of the palace back to his room to fetch his weaponry, including his twin blades.  
  
Fifteen minutes later, he stepped onto the archery pitch. He whipped an arrow out of his quiver, strung it in his bow and let go. It hit the bulls- eye. Arrow after arrow flew until he had none left in his quiver.  
  
A noise distracted him, just as he was about to fetch his arrows. "Is it just a coincidence that you have managed to create the letter 'f' with all of your arrows?"  
  
Legolas turned to meet Aragorn behind him, staring at the target. He too, in turn looked at the target with his friend, and indeed, he had managed to form the letter 'f' with all of his elven crafted, yellow feathered arrows. After muttering something incomprehensible to Aragorn he stepped out to retrieve the lot of them.  
  
"Mellonamin," said Aragorn teasingly, "What has been so distracting that the greatest archer of Mirkwood would loose enough concentration to miss the bulls eye almost every time, and create one of the most least important letter of the alphabet."  
  
"No reason...really..." Legolas replied, shoving all of the arrows into the quiver.  
  
"Legolas, I know you too well. This has something to do with a girl, doesn't it." Estel accused.  
  
"No..." Legolas said before staring at the floor. "Alright yes." He blurted after a pause.  
  
"I knew it!" the human managed a smug face before continuing. "After all that you said about her last night, I would only need to guess who!"  
  
"You heard me?"  
  
"Of course I heard you!"  
  
"But why couldn't me or Arwen hear you approaching.  
  
"You two were off in your little world..." Aragorn shrugged.  
  
Legolas strung his quiver again and fired. "I still can't believe that you heard me." He said after quite a few minutes of silence. "I mean, I trust Arwen to keep it a secret, but you? You're human! You're bound to tell someone!"  
  
"Hey! I'm offended!" Aragorn said, pretending to be so. "Anyways. I'm more elf than human. I was raised here, you know. Not with my kin." He replied.  
  
"You may be..." Legolas said offhandedly, "But I can still whoop you in a sword fight."  
  
Aragorn grinned. "You're on!"  
  
A/N: So sorry for the delay...again... but I had almost no time to write but during math class, and I have guests from Germany here, and the school quarter is finishing up and ya... A lot. Not really much to say here, but thanks for all the reviews that I got! You kept me going!  
  
Translations: Mae Govannen, mellonamin, sut naa lle?: Well met, my friend, how are you?  
  
Quel, sut nae lle yassen omenta i'Undomiel: Good, how was your meeting with the Evenstar?  
  
Saiquel: Very good  
  
Mellonamin: My friend (Mellon means 'friend', but you all know that!)  
  
Legolas Thrandulion: Well, Thranduil is Leggy's father, so adding the 'ion' to the end of his name would make him 'legolas son of thranduil'  
  
Ya naa re?: Who is she?  
  
Re naa vanima tar nausa, e'dolamin. Re aa'na peredhil, nan're na ner Tanya amin antamin...: She is beautiful beyone imagination, in my mine. She may be halfelven, but she is more than I could ever want.  
  
Lle naa lantien mela: You are falling in love  
  
Uma, namin: Yes, I am.  
  
Quel Amrun: Good morning. Review Responses:  
  
Ardonelle Celebrindal: Thankyouthankyouthankyou for beta-ing!! Hope you liked it! I'm glad that you thought that the dream was good, because it took me a lot of time to write!  
  
Elerrina: YOU ARE SO SMART. I didn't think that anyone would catch that! ^^ Brownies for you! *passes brownies* It was pretty long, I guess, for a short-chapter person like me, but on the other hand, this one's WAY longer! ^^ Thanks!  
  
Mechal: Thank you!  
  
Kellyn Smith: Thanks a lot! I always love reviews from new readers!  
  
Darkness eternal: I'm glad you liked it!  
  
a.k.y.c.: Yes, Ana is Fanya's little sis. Thanks for reviewing, and I'll be sure to email you whenever I update!  
  
Harmony99: You're another smart reviewer! Thanks for catching that, I went back and fixed my little mistake. *whoops!* Thanks for the review!  
  
Digital-tiffany: I can always count on your reviews to make me smile! ^^  
  
Inweofnargothrond: Yes, I know it needs some distinguishing features that should distinguish it. (lol) Any ideas? I'd appreciate if you'd email me, because I'm fresh out of ideas! And the dictionary I have says that 'peredhil' means 'half elf' so, that's what I'm going for, though I did hear it once in the usage of a hobbit. Thanks!  
  
:D: Oh no problem, I understand. There are plenty of Tolkien fanatics out there that like to criticize, and I had quite some fun responding to NHOI's reviews! (if you know what I mean) I don't blame you for recommending my story to her (if you did), but the fact that you told her about it makes me smile! Thanks a bunch!  
  
Feanen: Thanks!  
  
Greeneyes616: Thank you! I'm glad you like my notes; I try and have fun!  
  
A/N: Again, thankies for the reviews! I got 11 this time! ^^ I took a bit of freedom with Arwen's character, and the fact that she and leggy were once in love, because I KNOW that that didn't really happen! Don't bug me about it!!! 


	18. Retellings again

A/N: Due to popular demand...  
  
Orli: What? You're popular?  
  
Me: *ahem* due to popular demand, This part of the story is about...FANYA! *hears cheering and such from audience*  
  
Orli: You are so not popular.  
  
Me: Hey! I go back to Tae Kwon Do this week, I'll soon be fit enough to whip your ass.  
  
Orli: and why haven't you been going for the past two months?  
  
Me: Volleyball. Where I get an even stronger arm.  
  
Orli: *starts sweating* *wishes he had his bow and quiver with him*  
  
Me: *evil grin*  
  
Disclaimer: I own: Fanya, her family, her life, this story, and my stomach ache. I do not own *lists everything in lord of the rings*. There you go. Tolkien owns all that stuff.  
  
And BTW, this chapter might be a bit boring, but I had to put it in there, or stuff wouldn't make sense in the end... if it makes sense at all.  
  
Chapter Seventeen: Retellings  
  
"Ana?" Fanya repeated, dumbstruck. The woman nodded and Fanya rushed into her arms. However much she didn't want to see the rest of her family, she was overjoyed to see that Ana remembered her.  
  
"My, you've grown! The last time I saw you, you were two!" Fanya said. Somehow, she couldn't believe that she was here, with the one human relative that she actually loved.  
  
Ana beamed" Oh don't stand there, come in! Come in!" She ushered them in while starting to bustle around making tea. "Gerin, be a dear and get a few cups out of the cupboard, would you?" she asked. The woman nodded and started to help.  
  
"I see that you've met my daughter and granddaughter," Ana commented.  
  
"Is she older than you, Grandmother?" Asked Terra innocently from where she was sitting in a chair. "She doesn't look old."  
  
Ana smiled at Terra and said, "Of course she is older than me. If I have my math right, she is about 70. Am I right, Fanya?"  
  
Fanya nodded, and almost burst out laughing at the response that Terra gave: Her eyes grew all wide, and her jaw almost dropped to the floor. "That's old!!!" she gasped, "That's older than...than...than..." she seemed to be lost for words.  
  
"Your grandmother...?" Fanya prompted gently.  
  
"Yeah! You're older than Grandmother!"  
  
"Actually, I'm quite young for an elf..." Fanya commented offhandedly. Ana finally finished the tea and passed a cup to Fanya, while Gerin busied herself cleaning up.  
  
"So, Ana, what has happened since I left? And what of Ata? What of the rest of our family?" Fanya asked her; suddenly curious about she had missed in the fifty years that had passed.  
  
"Well, after you left, you were never mentioned, and if you were, it resulted in severe beatings. I grew up, and Father slowly married off my other 6 sisters. I however had my own plan. When I was 12, I met a young boy, about my age in the square. Barthon and I spent the next few years seeing each other in secret, while father searched for a man to marry me to. One day, Father spotted me with Barthon kissing before I had to go home, and he punished me. He had apparently found a husband for me that day, so I followed in your footsteps, and ran away, to live with Barthon and his family. They were overjoyed to have me there, and finally when Barthon announced that he wanted to marry me, his family did the best they could to keep the wedding a secret.  
  
"When I was 16, Barthon and I married, and I was soon carrying a child. Mother was furious. She seemed to have forgotten that people fall in love. She and Father had gotten in a fight, and Father left Gondor soon after. I do not know where he went, probably to Rohan, though. Years passed, and our mother grew older. She died about thirty years, ago, when I was carrying a second child.  
  
"On her deathbed though she said something I would not have believed possible. Her last words were, 'If you ever see Fanya again, Tell her I love her, and I made a terrible mistake for letting her go...'"  
  
It took a few seconds for this statement to sink into Fanya's brain. She would have never believed it possible for her mother to ever love her like her siblings. She was no treated no less than a slave. No more than dirt on the rug. Had she not actually been a living, breathing person, she would have been considered invisible.  
  
When the words actually started to take effect on her, she felt an emotion she had never felt before: Pain. Pain that she had never taken time to consider that her mother had loved her, even if she had never shown it. Pain that her selfishness had come off worse in the end. Pain that she had never really loved her mother, as she should have.  
  
"And after that...?" Fanya asked Ana.  
  
"Nothing. All of our brothers and sisters died, Ghengad died last spring. After that, our family started to break up and go our separate ways. Most of them were convinced that you were gone for good; that you would never come back to see us."  
  
"And you?"  
  
"I was the youngest one. I barely remembered you, yet somehow I knew that you would come back, for one reason or another."  
  
Fanya smiled and hugged her sister. Glad that she was in Gondor for the first time in her life.  
  
"Fanya," asked Terra, "Did you live here?"  
  
"Yes Terra, I did."  
  
"Then why did you leave?"  
  
"That is part of the past; A past I would rather not live again."  
  
"You can't have spent..." she considered what she was going to say, "...a bazillion years doing nothing though!"  
  
Fanya burst out laughing at the child's ignorance. "A bazillion years? No, my child, I have spent a mere fifty away from my birthplace."  
  
"Well that's still a lot!" she said indignantly.  
  
"Yes, that's still a lot."  
  
"What did you do?" asked Ana. "Like my granddaughter said, you can't have done nothing for fifty years."  
  
"Well, I went to Mirkwood, if you didn't know." Ana shook her head.  
  
"No. Mother said nothing of where you went, though I think she knew herself."  
  
"I lived with my Ada-"  
  
"Ada? What's-" interrupted Terra.  
  
Gerin hushed her daughter with a gentle tap on the shoulder.  
  
"I lived with my Ada, my father, for three years. Then I got my own home closer to the village. A while ago, Ada asked me to deliver a message, and so I took up the offer. He didn't want me to be untrained for war however, so my good friend Lenwë started to train me." She held up Nessme'a. "This was the sword that Ada gave me right before I left." She traced the elvish writing up and down the sword slowly before continuing.  
  
"I left Mirkwood about a month ago, and was accompanied by Legolas, the prince. For most of the trip I did not like him, yet towards the end..." she trailed off.  
  
Ana seemed to know what she meant. "You fell in love."  
  
"No!" Fanya replied quickly; too quickly. "I...I didn't fall in...in love! It was n...no more than a childish crush!" she stammered. But Ana smiled and replied,  
  
"It doesn't seem a childish crush. I can see it in your eyes. You love him." She stated firmly.  
  
But however much Fanya knew it herself, she wouldn't admit it. She stood up and crossed her arms, acting like a child. "No, I don't love him. I just like him as a friend."  
  
"Did he kiss you?" Ana asked.  
  
Fanya nodded.  
  
A squeal erupted from the corner. "Eeeeeeeeeeew! That's gross!" Terra made a face as if she was sick.  
  
"Terra! Be quiet!" came a rushed reply from her mother.  
  
Silence echoed within the kitchen again. "And did you kiss him back?" Came the slow question from Fanya's sibling.  
  
Fanya closed her eyes, trying her best to remember the night when they had kissed. It was a blur, and she couldn't remember much, but before she could come to her senses, her body had started moving without her consent, nodding up and down.  
  
Before Terra could squeal again, her mother had clamped a firm hand across her mouth.  
  
Ana was analyzing the information. She came to the conclusion finally. "I can't say this as a fact without much proof, but as far as I can tell, you love him."  
  
Fanya was about to argue, when Gerin said, "Well, I'd say that I've had enough today, and it's nearing supper. I guess I better get home to start dinner. Terra, come along!" Gerin turned to Fanya. "It was very nice to meet you, Fanya. I do hope we see more of each other."  
  
"Bye bye Fanya!" piped up Terra, hugging Fanya. "I want to play with you tomorrow, do you promise?"  
  
"Yes, I promise I'll play with you tomorrow." She said giving her a little kiss on the forehead. Gerin and Terra left, leaving only Ana and Fanya.  
  
Ana cleared up the dishes, and Fanya slipped off into her little world. Was it true that she loved Legolas? Had she felt something different? She'd never had more than a crush before, and that was when she had been very young. What was so special about Legolas?  
  
Maybe she would just have to wait for the answer. She made a mental note to ask him about it next time she saw him...if she saw him. For now she would just have to deliver the message and enjoy herself at Ana's house.  
  
A/N: Several things: 1) Read "The Ending of Ellasar" and "The Ardonelle Chronicles" by Ardonelle Celebrindal. Why? Because they're good. Why're they good? BECAUSE I SAID SO. 2) Read my hobbit stories (Hobbit Truth or Dare, Bored Hobbits, and Flashlight Tag and Whatnot) because nobody reviews them!!! *sniff* and my other story "Secrets". Soon to come are: Another Hobbit Story (Bramble's birthday party!), and a story that was based on one of my dreams...It should be pretty good!  
  
Review Responses:  
  
Feanen: Thanks.  
  
Harmony99: I'm glad that you like what I did with Legolas' character. Honestly, it wasn't intentional, but this is fiction. And some people don't seem to get that. Lol.  
  
Digital-Tiffany: NO DON'T SEND GOLLUM TO ME! NOOOOO!!! *runs away from review*  
  
P3gurl: Well. Violence can achieve some things...  
  
Lady Justine Greenleaf: Wow. Your review was great. I honestly agree that NHOI doesn't deserve a 'he/she' title, but your 'it' was hilarious. I am so glad that you like my story, and I was flattered at all that nice stuff! Thanks a bundles, that review made my day!  
  
Inweofnargothrond: I know what you mean, but I slipped something in in the last chapter that would prove you wrong. "Legolas immediately thinks that she's the prettiest of them all" I never said that she was the prettiest elf in the land, I said that Legolas thought that she was the most beautiful. And that's simply because he is in love. Don't was all think that way when we're in love?  
  
I like this story: Thankies! =)  
  
KnowInsight: Thanks! I'm glad you like it! ^^ and you seem to smile a lot... =) =D 8) Ooh! Fun!  
  
Kathy8: Ya, I agree, those stories where they 'meet and fall in love instantly' are pretty annoying. Lol. Sorry about the update time (it was only a week...don't hurt me!!!). Hope you liked this chappy! And about the mystery person, you'll just have to find out, won't you! =)  
  
Nyctophobia: I emailed you already, and you know what I feel about your review, all that is left to say is Thanks!  
  
A/N: I have officially come to a decision about mary sues: They are NOT BAD. Authors who make them up are NORMAL PEOPLE. The thing about mary-sues, is the authors who make them up and use them, make them everything that they want to be, making up for things such as being fat, a terrible singer, a klutz, etc. So, there's no point in flaming stories for peoples imaginations going wild, honestly!  
  
Super thankies to my beta, Ardonelle! (READ HER STORIES, OR YOU'LL ANSWER TO ME AND MY BUTT-KICKING WRATH!!!!!)  
  
-The Hobbit Ivy 11-4-03 


	19. Many Meetings

A/N: I seriously apologize for the delay of chapters...since the last update was the 4th of November...  
  
I should kick myself...  
  
Orli: Could I do it for you?  
  
Me: No.  
  
Orli: Darn...  
  
Me: But I have more to say! I can give you a valid excuse for the past...what...almost three weeks.: Nov10-16: My gosh, I had high school applications due on the 18th, school poster due, a science test, I had to research Walter Raleigh, and I had to write this. Oh ya, the 15-16th, I was doing homework, at the Rock Climbing gym, and at the John Mayor concert downtown! (it was kool!) Nov17-now: Well, the 17th I was finishing up my high school application, the 18th I was a) sick at home b) it was my 14th birthday c) TTT extd. Version came out, so I had to stay home and watch that. The rest of the week, was catching up on homework, and writing THIS. So overall, if you have read this, sincere apologies about the delay.  
  
Orli: Are you finished?  
  
Me: Well, I would be, but now because you're so rude I don't think I am.  
  
Orli: Why me? *falls to knees*  
  
Me: Several things: Again, this is an AU, so I took little liberties with language, behavior, and personalities. NOT big ones, but they're there. If you have problems with that...deal with them. If you have questions, email me or send them in reviews.  
  
AND NOW...because you've all been waiting, THE DISCLAIMER! *claps*  
  
Disclaimer: I own Fanya, Fanya, Fanya, Fanya, and....Fanya. I also own Larien, most of the dwarf, elf, and human spectators, the bathtub water, and...probably a few bushes here and there. I don't own, Legolas, the dwarfs, elves, hobbits, and men that you know, I don't own Rivendell, the feast...although I wish I owned Aragorn...yummy...But I don't. *tear falls down cheek*  
  
Chapter 18: Many Meetings  
  
A sweaty hour later quite a few spectators (elves, humans, and hobbits alike) were gathered around the grounds watching Legolas and Aragorn fight. Legolas noted that the two hobbits who had hovered around the food table earlier were both leaning against trees eating apples and taking silent bets on who would win, dwarves were huddled on the sides in their own respectable groups pretending that they weren't interested, the humans there were following every clang and clash with awe, and elves present were watching with interest, as most of them knew the strong friendship between the two men.  
  
Clash, clang. One earsplitting sound after another wreaked the clearing as the two men fought on. Both would whisper something to distract the other every once and a while. Arwen, (who seemed to be hovering between rooting for Legolas and Aragorn) was standing in the front of the crowd along with a few of her friends.  
  
A quick sidestep and a hiss of "Arwen's left, Aragorn. No one to cheer for you now!" preoccupied Aragorn long enough so that Legolas darted to the left, tripped him and placed the sword to his heart in victory.  
  
"Nuquernamin lle." Legolas said triumphantly to Aragorn while he held out a hand to help him up.  
  
"Uma. Lle ume." Aragorn agreed. Both men were slightly winded, and sweat was trickling down their faces. Legolas chuckled lightly when Arwen walked up to the both of them, and looked disgusted at the state of Aragorn.  
  
"Lle sintaya, Undomiel," Legolas whispered into Arwen's ear. She swatted at him playfully but he danced out of her reach. He winked and turned around to many pats on the back from bystanders.  
  
Finally Legolas managed to get out of the crowd long enough to breathe. "Much better..." he muttered taking in the slightly scented air around him. He slowly ambled up to his room, where surprisingly yet pleasantly a bath was ready for him again. He eased back into it for the second time that day, while he brooded on things.  
  
He didn't want to think about Fanya, yet every moment his mind was caught off guard a picture of her would creep into his head.  
  
What did he feel for her? Was it more than a childish crush? Was it love? He felt as if he had already come to a conclusion about the whole affair, yet he constantly reflected about it again and again.  
  
It might be love. It could just be that the feelings he had was just a passing obsession, that he would not remember her in a thousand years or so. Yet somehow knew he didn't feel that way. Somehow he knew he couldn't feel that way.  
  
A rap on the door brought him to attention. He called for them to come in, and when Estel entered (he was clean now), he sat up in the tub.  
  
"Mani naa ta?" Legolas asked.  
  
"You wanted to talk privately about your travels, mellonamin."  
  
"More like you wanted to know about them." Legolas muttered. Aragorn smiled. "First let me get out of this bathtub. I think I'm clean enough." Legolas stood up and stepped out of the tub, wrapping a towel around his waist.  
  
"What did you want to know?" Asked Legolas, once they both had gone back into the bedroom and situated themselves on the bed. Legolas was leaning on the headboard, while Aragorn was on the other side of the bed leaning against a bedpost.  
  
"What do you mean? Tell me all." Said Aragorn simply. Legolas gave him a 'do I have to?' look, and Aragorn nodded.  
  
"I set out from Mirkwood on my own. I traveled as far as the nearest human village solo, but I was joined by another. We traveled for miles. She was-"  
  
"Oh. So this someone is a she," interrupted Aragorn.  
  
Legolas glared at him. "Yes. She was on her way to Gondor, while, as you know I was coming to Rivendell."  
  
"Minas Tirith is miles out of the way, Legolas!" Aragorn accused him. "You could have been here weeks ago!"  
  
When there was no reply, Aragorn put two and two together. "Oh. So this is the beautiful half-elven princess of whom you are completely smitten with."  
  
"She is no princess." Legolas replied. "Yet I cannot deny she is beautiful..." he said, somewhat dreamily. "One night I as good as told her that I loved her."  
  
"But something stopped you."  
  
"No...It's just, I didn't want to press a relationship on her. She had allowed my company for that long, and she eventually told me that she was half-elven. Something must have changed overnight, because when I awoke...she was gone."  
  
Aragorn considered this. "Maybe you did bring a relationship upon her a little fast, mellon, yet I cannot see what is wrong for telling her your feelings."  
  
"No, I cannot understand why she left me." Legolas said. "She seemed as though she liked me more than a friend, yet would a friend leave another in the dust?"  
  
"Only if they had a sufficient reason."  
  
"I guess you are right, mellon. I guess that I will have to wait for the answer and settle for not knowing."  
  
Aragorn nodded. "There is a banquet tonight, in honor of the halflings, Frodo, who awoke this morning. His reasoning of being here are for the council tomorrow, though," he hastily added, when he saw a question forming in Legolas' mind.  
  
Legolas selected a green outfit for the banquet that evening as to represent Mirkwood forest. When he arrived in the hall he observed that the hall was significantly ornate as opposed to this morning. Elrond sat at one end of the table, as was custom in a big chair, with Arwen on his right, Aragorn on his left. Down the table sat 5 of the halflings, dwarves, and noble looking men. Four of the hobbits he recognized, but the last one he had not seen before. He had a young look to him, with the largest blue eyes he had ever seen. His dark curly hair was slightly mussed about, but he was smiling and looked like he was having a good time. Legolas took his seat in a respectable spot where guest elves from Mirkwood were sitting.  
  
Several seats down, sat a dwarf with white hair whom he strangely recognized. The dwarf was talking animatedly with the blue eyed halfling, with the oldest looking hobbit, whom he had learned to be Bilbo Baggins, listening in on the conversation, speaking up now and then.  
  
Soon, formalities had been said, wine had been drunken, food had been consumed, and many of the guests had gotten up and started dancing. Legolas stood to the side of the hall, leaning against the wall. He didn't really feel like dancing. He had grown up with so many formal balls that he quickly tired of them.  
  
He laughed as one of the brown haired, food crazy hobbits approached one of the younger elf maidens and asked her to dance. The maiden laughed as well, and nodded her head, while the hobbit dragged her over to the dance floor, momentarily sticking out his tongue to his blonde companion, who promptly went searching for a partner as well.  
  
Legolas chuckled as he observed the two small hobbits dancing with their taller partners. The two elf maidens must have caught each other's eyes, and they were silently gigging as well.  
  
Some ways to the left of him was a pair of open doors, leading to a rather large garden. Aragorn was subtly attracting the attention of Elrond's daughter, and waved for her to go outside. She complied, gliding across the floor silently. He waited a minute, making sure he didn't attract much attention, and he sidled off to meet her.  
  
A voice distracted him momentarily. "Excuse me, my lord, may I have this dance?" an elf maiden asked. He turned, and was met with a beautiful maiden, with long dark wavy hair, fair skin, and a beautiful complexion.  
  
"Larien!" He exclaimed, giving her a hug. "It has been long, mellonamin!" He said, a smile gracing his face. "Of course you may have this dance." He said. She took his hand, and he led her onto the dance floor. "I did not know you were in Rivendell," he commented.  
  
"Since I left Mirkwood one thousand years ago, I spent some time traveling. Yet I found that I needed to calm myself down, and settle somewhere. I needed a change, so I settled for Rivendell." She told him, smiling. "And I daresay that you are here on the same errand as most of the guests here?" she asked.  
  
"I know not what I am here for, I just know that my father sent me." He replied.  
  
"Enough talk you prince, let's dance!" she urged him. Legolas was glad to have met his childhood friend again. They had spent timeless days sitting in trees reading and talking when they were young. Both had aged, and found sanctuary in other things, and they rarely saw each other when Legolas had begun his 'Prince Training' as they had called it, basically when his father was instructing Legolas on how to run a kingdom without a single breakdown.  
  
Legolas took her hand, and they slowly danced to the enchanting music. Legolas closed his eyes, and imagined he was dancing with Fanya, and when he opened his eyes again, he was almost disappointed that it was Larien standing before him.  
  
When the song ended, Legolas excused himself and he went out to wander the garden. He approached a stone bench and lowered himself onto it, listening to the sounds of the night. Although it was peaceful here, he knew it was not peaceful elsewhere. How could a place like Rivendell keep so pleasantly rid of evil, when his own Mirkwood was corrupted?  
  
-~^*^~-~^*^~-~^*^~-~^*^~-~^*^~-  
  
"Estel, what are you going to do?" whispered Arwen, gazing down over towards a daydreaming Legolas. "He is so lovesick,"  
  
"He told me of part of his travels here, yet I do not know the whole story." He replied, not answering the question at all. He explained what Legolas had told him to Arwen, and her eyes deepened in understanding when he finally finished.  
  
"This halfelven maiden...what is her name?" She asked him.  
  
"Legolas did not mention it." He replied. "I don't know how to explain it, yet he does not seem to fully understand what he feels for her. He tells himself that he loves her, yet he keeps going back to it, thinking it over, and reaching the same conclusion." The man said. Arwen looked confused.  
  
"Estel, I don't fully understand the meaning of that, yet somehow I can comprehend it," She told him. "It was very confusing when I fell in love with you, you know." She poked him playfully on his shoulder.  
  
"I know it was. And I'm still glad you did." Aragorn whispered, pressing a light kiss on her lips.  
  
"And yet," she said lightly, "You say you love me, yet you leave me for a year at a time!" She stood up, and turned her back on him. Aragorn pretended to look hurt.  
  
"Ai, Undomiel, I would stay here if I could." He replied, standing too.  
  
Arwen shook her head, still turned away from him. A grin graced her face, although Aragorn couldn't see it. Aragorn approached her, but she ran off into the forest behind her, all the while holding a giggle fit painfully inside her. Aragorn tore after her.  
  
Arwen stopped suddenly and turned. Aragorn, not expecting this collided into her, and the two were knocked to the ground. Arwen laughed, and as Aragorn tried to stand up again, she grabbed his hand and kept him there.  
  
"Ah ha. Just the way I want you." She said, before covering his mouth with a sweet kiss.  
  
-~^*^~-~^*^~-~^*^~-~^*^~-~^*^~-  
  
An hour later, Legolas lay down in his comfortable bed, ready for sleep to take him. As soon as he lay down, he felt slumber enticing him to close his eyes. He gratefully complied, his conscience slipping away like water held in his hands.  
  
*Dream*  
  
Again he found himself in the field void of everything but grassy hills. Some distance away from him was...Fanya.  
  
"Fanya!" he exclaimed, sprinting to meet her.  
  
She smiled at him and waited for him to come to her. And when he planted a kiss on her cheek, she whispered in his ear "I am fine. Stop worrying, princy boy," she gave him a meaningful look, before disappearing completely. Legolas' hand was clasped around where her hand used to be, and slowly he let it fall to his side, a single tear leaking out of his eyes.  
  
*End Dream*  
  
His eyes snapped open, and they were only met with the blackness of the night. He felt tears rolling down his cheeks and he wiped them away with the back of his hand. He remembered the dream vividly, and though it was short, he remembered that Fanya had told him that she was ok... that he didn't have to worry...yet did he?  
  
A/N: Again, again, again, sorry for the delay, but I gave reasons. =D. So...I'll say a few things now that make me happy.  
  
-My Two Towers Extended version -All my new LotR games (monopoly, trivial pursuit, RotK video game) -My pretty new Elf ring off of tolkientown.com -My birthday cake -My cool book signed by Paige Davis (yea trading spaces!) -My reviewers -My beta -My little brother -The fact that I was lying about the brother thing That's enough for now...Now, onto the goodies that you actually read! Translations: Nuquernamin lle: I defeated you Uma, Lle, ume: Yes, you did Lle sintaya, Undomiel: You should have known, Undomiel Mellonamin: My friend (but you should all know that...if you don't...well, now you know.  
  
Review Responses: Mercuriall: Thanks! Dang...you reviewed fast! =D  
  
Feanen: Thankies! ^^  
  
Harmony99: Lol. Everyone sounds like a two year old every once and a while. Unfortunately, the Leggy-Fanya reunion won't happen for a few chapters. Sry! But I'm really glad that you like it!  
  
Inweofnargothrond: Yes, unfortunately it was a bit confusing. The next chapter will be more straightforward.  
  
KnowInsight: ^_^ I love simple reviews like that! Hope you liked this chapter!  
  
Digital_Tiffany: Hmm...*ponders* No. Orli is here at MY house, with ME. *sticks tongue out* Lol. Not really. Thanks for the review, I'm really glad that you thought it was funny..in fact, you're like the only one...*ponders*  
  
A/N: I'm going to leave you now...because this is a long enough chapter as it is.... But before you go, make two authoresses happy. Click the little button and keep it company. And the second one, review her story. Ardonelle Celebrindal needs fans. She's my (super-cool) beta, and she writes (super- cool) fics. Go read them, and make people happy!!!!!!! -The Hobbit Ivy 


	20. Delivering the Message

A/N: A late Merry Christmas, to all who celebrate it! =) I won't give excuses this time about why I haven't updated, although I DID have final exams, and I DID have the science fair (3rd place, go me), and I DID have a bunch of homework in the last month. SORRY!  
  
An Orli Update! He isn't going to talk, because he is currently unwrapping late Christmas presents... hehe! *watches as Orli throws crumpled up wrapping paper over shoulder*  
  
Disclaimer: I own Fanya, Terra, Ana, Gerin, Juni, Michelle, Bethen, Freda, their mothers, A bunch of city guards, and probably a bunch of other stuff. The rest of it goes to my dog. Oh, I mean Tolkien.  
  
Chapter 19: Delivering the Message  
  
"Really? Really? REALLY?"  
  
"Shhhh!"  
  
"Oh..."  
  
Fanya lay in her bed. Eyes closed, still contemplating whether or not she wanted to wake up or not. Finally opening her eyes, she was shown what she couldn't see last night in the dark.  
  
After Ana had gone to bed, Fanya had sat in the kitchen for hours, watching the candles melt and not particularly doing or thinking anything. Just sitting in the kitchen.  
  
But unfortunately...maybe fortunately, Legolas' face would appear in the small flame of the fire. And every time, she would shake her head, and resume staring at the candle.  
  
There was a small wooden bed, which she was currently sitting on, in the corner of the room. It wasn't really comfortable, and was very stiff. The mattress didn't help much, it had lost most of it's comfort and was just there as a source of keeping body heat. To the right of the bed, stood a small wooden table, crafted in the same design. On the other side of the room was a large dresser with several drawers. The handles were chipped and worn. A light piece of cotton cloth was set on top for decoration, embroidered with faded, but colorful flowers.  
  
Standing up, Fanya blinked the stars out of her eyes and walked to where a cracked mirror was hanging over the dresser. She bent down in front of her pack and took out her brush and some other, cleaner clothes.  
  
She ran the brush through her hair a few times, and braided it, twisting it at the end for it to hold. She stripped off her travel worn clothes, spotting a few holes that she would have to sew, and tossed them onto her bed, for cleaning later on. She pulled on the green leggings, buttoned up the undershirt, and pulled a tunic over it. She had no dresses available, and she wasn't planning to buy any, any time soon.  
  
She walked into the kitchen, where there was a jug of water, bread, some cheese, and a note waiting for her. She picked up the note and read what it said:  
  
'Fanya-  
  
I went to the market with Gerin to buy a few things. The bread and cheese is for you if you want it. I told Terra that you would go with her around the city, I'm sorry if she woke you up. Terra should be waiting in the bedroom; hopefully she'll behave for you. -Ana'  
  
Ah. So that was the squeal that she heard. She grabbed the piece of bread and bit into it. It was slightly stale, but better than the food she had eaten traveling.  
  
"FanyaFanyaFanyaFanyaFanyaFanya!" came a shriek from the other side of the room, and then something collided into her full-force, which caused her to fall to the ground. She cried out, feeling pain shoot through her starting at her hip, which hit the ground first.  
  
"Terra, what's wrong?" she asked, rubbing her side as she stood up. 'just a bruise...' she thought, as she picked up Terra from the ground as well.  
  
Terra's big blue eyes were wide and frightened and she stammered through her words, "Th-there's a- a- a- a m-monster in Gr-grandmother's b-b-bed room, Fanya... could- could you m-make it g-g-go away?" she huddled into Fanya's side, hiding her face.  
  
"Of course, Terra, can you show me where it is?" she said sympathetically, remembering when she was small and used to go running to her mother to rid the house of monsters.  
  
"O-over th-there..." Terra pointed to the corner of Ana's room. Then she backed up as far as she could against the opposite wall, breathing loudly.  
  
Fanya walked to where she had pointed, and examined the floor, where a spider, about the size of a tarantula was. Fanya quickly stifled a laugh, glad that it wasn't as big as the LAST spider she had encountered. She picked it up with a book and walked over to the window of the bedroom and dumped it into the bushes, where it scurried off into shadow.  
  
When she turned around, Terra was bright and sunshiny again, and bounced over to her, and tugged on her arm playfully. "Come on, Fanya, let's go!"  
  
Fanya allowed herself to be dragged out of the house and over to Morion, who eyed Terra, before letting out a snort that said plainly 'fine, I'll let the little one ride me,'.  
  
"Diolla lle, mellon," Fanya whispered into Morion's ears, as Terra bounced up and down looking at the horse with round, hopeful eyes.  
  
Fanya lifted Terra up and sat her on the horse, then mounted her behind the small girl. "Hold on to Morion's mane, she won't mind." Fanya said, as Terra tensed in being on a horse without a saddle. Fanya led Morion into the town, smiling at people as they stared.  
  
Terra, on the other hand was positively eating up all of the attention, as she waved to people she knew, flashed smiles in all directions, and giggled.  
  
"Ooh! Fanya! Go over there! Make Morion go there!" she squealed, pointing to a group of girls all about the same age as her playing in a group, (all of whom turned and gaped at her on the horse)  
  
"Michelle! Freda! Juni! Béthen!" she squealed again. Fanya scooped Terra off of the horse, and lowered her down onto the ground, where she hopped over to her friends. "Come meet my friend! She's an elf!" Terra said excitedly when she was standing in front of them.  
  
"An elf!"  
  
"Really?"  
  
"With the pointy ears?"  
  
"Yeah! She's got pointy ears!" Terra cried, leading them all over to Fanya, who was still on the horse. One of the girls was hanging back from them, and was eyeing the horse with fright. Fanya noticed this, and dismounted. Terra, and three of the girls were touching Morion in awe, stroking her legs, because the highest they could reach was only to the middle of her body.  
  
"Come, little one. What is wrong?" Fanya said, kneeling before the girl. She had almond shaped soft brown eyes, and scraggly brown hair that was past her bottom.  
  
"I don't like the horse, it's scary..." she mumbled.  
  
"What is your name?" Fanya asked soothingly.  
  
"Juni... short for Junith," she said, turning her scared eyes from the horse onto Fanya.  
  
"Well, Juni. Would you like to ride Morion with me?"  
  
"No!" cried the girl, jumping back in fright.  
  
"Fanya!" Terra said. Fanya turned around, but did not leave Juni.  
  
"Yes, Terra?"  
  
"Could you let my friends ride Morion?" she asked, unsure of the answer.  
  
"Of course," Fanya said smiling. "But first I would like to know your names."  
  
"Michelle," spoke a curly blonde girl.  
  
"Freda," said the brown haired girl to her left.  
  
"Béthen" spoke a straight haired blonde to Terra's right.  
  
"And I know you, Juni," said Fanya, taking Juni's small hand and bringing her forward, towards the group.  
  
The girl shied away again from the horse, and Fanya let her retreat, knowing that Juni would probably overcome her fear when her friends pressured her into riding Morion, but that was her job. Fanya's job was to entertain these girls for a while.  
  
"Who wants to ride Morion first?" Three high-pitched voices started shouting "Me! Me! Me!" all at once. Fanya decided she would have a little fun, and made a big performance of closing her eyes and spinning around, before stopping and pointing at a girl.  
  
"Yay!" cried Béthen, who sprang forward and tried to scramble up Morion's back.  
  
"Whoa, Béthen," said Fanya, not expecting this, "Let me lift you up."  
  
"Now grip Morion's hair," Béthen did so, smiling wide, her eyes shining. Fanya gripped the girls forearm, and whispered commands to Morion in elvish, which startled Béthen. When the girl had been led up and down the street, Fanya noticed something. A group of women (all about Gerin's age) was standing watching them. To the side of the group was Ana, who was smiling at them. Fanya smiled back at her, and stopped Morion with a short whisper of "Tampa," and lifted Béthen down. The girl squealed, and rushed over to one of the women, who lifted her up and kissed her forehead. The woman was plainly her mother, as Béthen looked almost identical to her.  
  
Fanya repeated the process a few times, and when Michelle, Freda, and Terra (who had begged for another ride) had ridden up and down the street a few times, Fanya turned to Juni and grinned.  
  
"Now would you like to ride Morion?" she asked kindly.  
  
"Um...um..." the girl stammered.  
  
"I would ride with you, if you'd like," offered Fanya.  
  
"Um..."  
  
"Go on, Juni!" Michelle shouted from the other side of the road, where she was sitting on her mother's hip.  
  
"It's fun!" Said Terra, who was with Ana and her mother.  
  
"Um..." she stared at the ground. "It won't hurt, will it?"  
  
"No, ella'er, it will do you no harm," Fanya said.  
  
"What does that mean?" the girl said, amazed at the elvish.  
  
"Ella'er means 'little one'." Fanya told her, taking one of her small hands in hers.  
  
"All right..." she said softly enough for Fanya to hear her. "I'll ride...with you,"  
  
Fanya beamed at the little girl's courage. To be so small, and to have the heart to brave something you fear was something that she'd never encountered before.  
  
She lifted Juni up onto the front of Morion, as she had done with the previous four children, but instead of gripping their forearm and leading Morion around, she jumped up gracefully behind her. The small girl's body was stiff against Fanya. Plainly the girl was thinking twice about riding the horse, so Fanya took the moment to whisper elvish into her ear to calm her, as well as guiding Morion up and down the street. Soon, the girls body went limp, and Fanya worried if she had fainted from fright, but when she looked down at the child, she saw her eyes shut, and her breathing slowed to an even pace.  
  
Fanya moved the horse over to the group of women with Ana and Gerin. The remaining woman without a child lifted her arms up to receive her child, and Fanya lifted the child down, but did not dismount.  
  
The mothers were all looking up at her in awe. One spoke up. "You are so wonderful to let Michelle ride your horse. She loves horses so much, yet she is never allowed to play with the steeds of the army,"  
  
"It is nothing, Morion does not mind," Fanya replied, rubbing Morion's back.  
  
"How did you do that?" Juni's mother asked in awe, staring at Fanya.  
  
"Do what?"  
  
"Get Juni to approach, let alone ride a horse," she replied slowly.  
  
"It was not my doing, she decided for herself," Fanya replied modestly.  
  
"She is terrified of horses, though."  
  
"I know not what convinced her to ride my horse," Fanya told her, then glanced up at the sky, where the sun was high above them.  
  
"Ana, I must go, I have to deliver a message from my father." Fanya said, turning her attention to Ana.  
  
"Very well. I suppose you'll be back for dinner?" she asked.  
  
"I would think so."  
  
"Can I come?" Piped up Terra.  
  
"No, I'm afraid not, little one." I'll see you tonight." Fanya patted the head of the girl, then turned Morion with a gentle nudge of her ankles, and sped up, galloping through the town, Morion's hoof beats steady and loud against the stone road.  
  
She was on the outermost circle of the city, and had to pass through six more. At each gate, similar events happened, in the same order. First, they would stop her and ask her name. Then she would tell it to them, and they would permit her through the gate, staring at her/her ears. At the sixth gate, she was so high up, that she could see all of Gondor's plains, along with Ithilien, which was situated on the river. With her elven sight, she could see guards walking up and down the streets of the city.  
  
The guard stopped her. "My lady, what is your-"  
  
"Fanya Helyan, daughter of Linque Helyan of Mirkwood." She answered before he could finish.  
  
"What do you want with the steward?" he asked, staring at her, eyes resting on a place other than her eyes.  
  
"I want to report a message from my father." She said uneasily.  
  
"What is that message?" he asked, still not looking at her face.  
  
"That," she whipped out a dagger, which had been placed in her boot and placed it to his neck, making sure he could feel the cold metal, "Is none of your business." She hissed at him. With the side of the dagger, she forced his chin up, so he was looking into her eyes. "And by the way, my face is here." she said, normally.  
  
The guard nodded, and opened the gate for her. She gave a curt nod to his partner, who was staring at her as if she was an orc, and galloped into the top level of the city. A single white tree was standing in the middle of a courtyard of grass. It didn't look to healthy, and rather as if it was painted white. She met two more guards standing in front of the tree. They plainly did not know what happened at the last gate, and smiled at her as she trotted past on Morion.  
  
She kicked Morion up the long flight of stairs. Each one, if you looked closely, had a symbol of a coat of arms cut into it. She supposed that it was the coat of arms of each separate king, though there were few through the course of history.  
  
She dismounted quickly and opened the heavy stone door. It was as tall as the building itself, and was probably just as heavy. She struggled a bit, and managed to get the door open enough to squeeze herself in.  
  
As she slipped in, she glimpsed a man with long graying hair, a sullen, almost bored look, before the door shut behind her with a loud rumble...  
  
_-~^*^~-_-~^*^~-_-~^*^~-_-~^*^~-_-~^*^~-_  
  
"Thank you, my lord Denethor," she said to the man. "I must take my leave, I have other duties here in the white city."  
  
"Very well." He replied. "You may go." Fanya bowed slightly to him and turned. At the end of the hall was a man with chin length, dirty blonde hair. He had a rather large nose, and she knew him as Faramir; Boromir's brother. He was leaning casually against a post, and was glaring at his father, who had gone back to his sullen staring into space. Fanya bowed her head in acknowledgement to him, and he replied with a smile.  
  
Again, she had trouble with the humongous stone door, although it was easier this time; all she had to do was push it open.  
  
Morion was waiting patiently for her outside, although he had walked down the steps, and was eating up the grass surrounding the white tree. The guards were gazing at the horse with interest, although she was sure that her horse wasn't supposed to be doing that. She ran down to Morion, making no sound at all, and rubbed her nose, whispering a greeting to her. She nodded at the men, and mounted Morion. With a gentle nudge, Morion trotted to the gates.  
  
The guard from earlier wasn't there this time, and she was permitted through the gates without a word.  
  
As she was galloping through the town, she was thinking... she didn't exactly find it comfortable to be around humans all the time, even if she was half one herself. She thought it uncomfortable that she would have to stay here longer than she had to, and since she had done what she had come for, she saw no need to stay any longer.  
  
Tomorrow, she would leave.  
  
A/N: I hope you liked this, It was 8 ½ pages on word, and somewhere around 2600 words. Yeah. Orli is looking dead sexy in his new santa hat. ^^  
  
Orli: *playing game cube*  
  
Me: And he's playing MY game cube, eating MY chocolate cookies, and is wearing MY santa hat...although he does look damn good in it.  
  
Orli: DARNIT I LOST!  
  
Me: Awww! *walks over and gives hug*  
  
Orli: *eye twitches* COOTIES!!!! Getitoffgetitoffgetitoffgetitoff!  
  
Me: Well FINE.  
  
Review Responses:  
  
Feanen: Thank you! I hope you like this chappy too!  
  
Areniel: Thanks! That was really nice of you to say, enjoy this one!  
  
Digital-Tiffany: You know what, I'll make you a deal. I will send Orli to you after this story is done. Then I'm capturing somebody else! =D Thanks for the review!  
  
Inweofnargothrond: Until a certain point in the story, I am alternating characters, last chapter was Legolas, this one was Fanya, next one is Legolas, etc. Thanks!  
  
Mercuriall: Thank you!  
  
Loveroflegolas: I'm glad to see you're reading my story! Thanks for dropping by!  
  
Lydia A.: It's wonderful to see a new reviewer, I hope you keep reading the story, and enjoy this one!  
  
Shivvers: I read your story, and it's great. Thanks for dropping by and reading this, and thanks for sending the review! ^^  
  
A/N: Thanks for all the reviews... I'm honestly running out of things to say IN the responses! Lol. I'm loving all of the reviews! And all I can say is that my whole day gets so much better after I get a few reviews! *huggles everybody who reviews*  
  
I have a few acknowledgements to make: First, my beta, now renamed The Lady Ellesar, keeps on posting chapters, and she wants reviews! She's a wonderful author, and if you just dropped a review saying that you were reading her story, would make more than one person happy! Second, my best friend has just entered the wonderful world of...no, not Disney, Fan Fiction, and she has a story posted, called Blue. Her penname is Elijah Orphen, and she is ecstatic about getting her first three reviews! Please read her story, and I'll reward you with another chapter!  
  
And finally, I have a question and a request. Would you rather see a 365- day 'calender' of "How to tell you're obsessed with Lord of the Rings", an update of "LotR for Dummies", "Secrets", a new story of mine (very MS and AU) "Proven Wrong", another Hobbit Story, or something completely different? And my request is that when you review, you tell me something that you liked in the chapter, and not "I love your story"... although you have all of my permission to make me feel very guilty about not updating for a month.  
  
Make a button happy, push the little purply blue button in the left corner. Make a person happy, type a nice comment in the pretty box!  
  
~The Hobbit Ivy 12:37PM 12/27/03 


	21. The Contest I

A/N: I have told you in the past, that the sooner you want me to update, the shorter my chapters will be! So, I've had a nice long three week break, and then kicked my ass into writing-mode.  
  
Orli: She went skiing! The lazy butt!  
  
Me: I brought my new pocket pc that I got for Christmas there, because it has Microsoft Word on it, so I could write.  
  
Orli: Oh.....well, she's still a lazy butt!  
  
Me: shut it, blondie.  
  
Orli: Hey! I'm not blonde!  
  
Me: In this you are.  
  
Orli: But that's not *me*.  
  
Me: Well, as *I* seem to remember it Quote: Well, everybody out there thinks of me when they think of Legolas, don't they? Unquote.  
  
Orli: I said that?  
  
Me: Check chapter 11. And that's just about as good as saying you're blonde. Now go make yourself useful and stand in a corner looking sexy.  
  
This chapter and the next chapter are ONE. It took me SO LONG to write, and honestly, it has nothing to do with the story, although the council of Elrond is briefed. Don't bug me about it...this isn't a 'fellowship' tale, it just happens to be happening during that time. This is a quarter of Legolas' two months of down time before he leaves, and then ON WITH THE STORY! *hazaa!*  
  
Chapter 20: The Contest  
  
A beam of sunlight was conveniently hitting the exact place where Legolas' eyes were, which caused an abrupt return to reality after a lovely nights sleep. He sat up in his bed, pushing the covers off of his bare chest. The cool air was very pleasant on his warm body.  
  
He walked into the bathroom, where, suprisingly another bath was run and steaming. 'honestly, the elves in Rivendell read my mind...' he thought, slipping into the warm, soothing, and, as everything had a tendency to be in Rivendell, slightly scented water.  
  
He ran his fingers through his wet hair, combing it slightly with a soap he found on the edge if the tub. He dipped his head back into the water, ridding it of the soap, and then he squeezed most of the water out and stood up.  
  
Again, he stood in front of the mirror, a towel wrapped low around his waist, he ran the brush through his wet hair.  
  
He remembered that the council of unknown purposes was being held today, and he added a few more braids to his usual style of a half ponytail with a fishtail braid, and two braids above his pointed ears. He decided to wear a slightly fancy tunic and breeches... but not so fancy that he could not go practice archery first!  
  
_-^*^-_-^*^-_-^*^-_-^*^-_-^*^-_  
  
Again he popped into the dining hall to grab only a wafer of lembas and then he was off to the training fields. He let arrow after arrow fly, and every time he would have to switch targets... He hit the bullseye every shot!  
  
There were 9 targets lined up in front of a forest (newcomers to the sport could at least get the satisfaction of hitting something) so he stood at the fifth target and aimed at the first. Nine arrows hit each target in succession, each one hitting dead center. He walked to the first target and wrenched the first arrow out, then the second, and the third. When he had all nine, he would resume his place at number five, and do it all over again.  
  
A bell rang in the distance, signaling the council was soon going to start. Legolas walked to a medium-sized -he guessed you might get away with calling it a 'room'- as it was just outside of a hallway, and was just a patio with a pedestal in the center and chairs in a semicircle. A large...throne? It was really just a large, ornate chair, was at the head of the 'room'.  
  
Legolas chose a chair next to where a Mirkwood elf was sitting. The blue-eyed halfling appeared on the edge of the 'room', and took the seat next to the wizard Mithrandir, and following the young hobbit was the older hobbit, Bilbo, who took the seat on the other side of Mithrandir. One by one, elves, men, and dwarves filed in and took seats. Legolas noticed that Aragorn was back in his ranger clothing. Upon looking up, he saw a balcony where Arwen was standing, silently watching. When she saw Legolas had seen her, she pressed a finger to her lips, and winked. 'she still has the spirit of an elfling...' he thought, smiling.  
  
When his gaze was brought to ground level, he jumped to find a dwarf sitting next to him.  
  
"What're you jumpy about," grumbled the dwarf, shifting in his seat to find a more comfortable position.  
  
Legolas did not reply, instead turned to watch Elrond walk in. He didn't sit in the chair, but stood and peered around the group.  
  
"Strangers from distant lands, friends of old. You are summoned here to answer the threat of Mordor..." he began. Legolas leaned back in his chair casually, ready for a very long morning...  
  
_-^*^-_-^*^-_-^*^-_-^*^-_-^*^-_  
  
Hours later, the council was dismissed. The man he knew now as Boromir had acted up, Mithrandir had said the rhyme of the One Ring in Black Speech... And the Ring of Power was found. He, Legolas, Elven prince of Mirkwood, was part of a fellowship of nine, made up of the blue-eyed hobbit, Frodo, his faithful fellow hobbits, Sam, Merry, and Pippin, the men, Aragorn and Boromir, Mithrandir, and that dwarf, Gimli.  
  
Legolas was sitting in his room, enjoying a quiet dinner by himself. He heard singing outside. He walked to the balcony, and leaned on the railing calmly, letting his hair blow around his face in the fall breeze. Two months from now, he would leave this paradise, on a quest to go into Mordor. Two months from now, he would put his full trust in his eight companions. Two months from now his life would be put in jeopardy. Two months from now, he might be able to see Fanya again.  
  
_-^*^-_-^*^-_-^*^-_-^*^-_-^*^-_  
  
In the week after the council, Aragorn (after quite a scene with Arwen) set out with a couple elves on scouting missions. They were hunting for any of the dark lord's followers.  
  
Legolas wanted to know his companions well enough so that he wouldn't feel that uncomfortable traveling with them for an unknown amount of time. The mission could take months, and it could take years. Not even Elrond could tell. So, for the next few months, he spent time with 7 of his companions. Gimli stayed with his dwarven companions, and avoided most contact with elves, which was no problem on Legolas' terms.  
  
Around the four hobbits, he felt thousands of years younger. There was a memorable time with Merry and Pippin...  
  
~Flashback~  
  
"Legolas! Come here!" whispered a voice from a bush. Legolas, who had been sitting in a tree, looked down to where the voice had come from. He had been watching Aragorn come back, looking quite weathered and worn. Arwen had rushed out to meet him, and they were currently standing on a bridge kissing.  
  
"Pip, here had an idea. We want to pull some kind of prank on those two lovebirds over there... it'll be fun!" Merry whispered to Legolas, who had hopped down and crouched to the ground.  
  
"Problem is, we don't know what to do. We've done almost everything in the book." Pippin said almost sadly. Legolas thought back to any pranks pulled by Elrohir and Elladan. Suddenly, a memory caught up with him. A few whispers, and an argument about who was going to pull the prank later, Pippin was creeping to the oblivious couple.  
  
SPLASH!  
  
"Waytogo, Pip!" Merry high-fived Pippin. Legolas was walking to Aragorn and Arwen, who were glaring at the hobbits and Legolas from the water.  
  
The water was about waist high, and they both waded out, soaked. Legolas was grinning impishly, and peering down at them from the bridge.  
  
"Enjoy your swim?" Legolas asked them. As they both walked back up to him.  
  
Aragorn glared at him. "What do you think?"  
  
But Arwen burst out, "That's not the first time that's happened to me either!"  
  
Aragorn looked confused, but Legolas said, "You remember as well?"  
  
"Remember?" She laughed, "I'm still plotting against them!"  
  
Merry and Pippin appeared, both trying to hold back giggles.  
  
"Wait, what?" Aragorn asked, still looking confused.  
  
"2000 years ago," Legolas began.  
  
"When Legolas and I were lovers," Arwen continued.  
  
Aragorn looked confused. "You were...?"  
  
"Haven't I mentioned that?" Arwen asked.  
  
"Obviously not." Pippin answered her.  
  
"When Arwen and I were lovers, Elladan and Elrohir spotted us kissing on...actually, it was this bridge."  
  
"I guess it was," Arwen commented. "Well, they decided to play a little trick, and shove us into the water. Kind of like this." Arwen pushed Legolas over the bridge.  
  
"Like that?" Aragorn asked.  
  
"Yep. Just like that." Arwen smirked.  
  
~End Flashback~  
  
But Merry and Pippin weren't the only people he spent time with. Around Mithrandir, he would talk about Mirkwood, and business around Middle Earth. Around Boromir, he would often be bored with tales of Gondor... although he knew that Fanya was in Gondor, and that was a topic he loved. He spent a lot of time with both Aragorn and, if she was there, Arwen. Aragorn would sword fight with him, and one day, Arwen showed up...  
  
~Flashback~  
  
"I bet you can't get 1000 bulls eyes in a row."  
  
"I bet I can."  
  
"Probably not."  
  
"Want to bet?"  
  
"You're on. What's the deal?"  
  
Legolas thought a minute. "I win, I get to kiss your girl. You win, you get to kiss mine."  
  
"Deal." Aragorn shook Legolas' hand.  
  
And so Legolas took shot after shot, Aragorn counting. An hour later, when Legolas was on 964 bulls eyes, a female voice said, "And what would two men be doing on this fine afternoon?" Legolas had been aiming, and when he heard the voice, he jumped and let loose an arrow. The arrow flew, and missed the bulls eye by an inch. Aragorn laughed, and jumped up and down like a child.  
  
"Ha! I win!" He cheered.  
  
"That one doesn't count!" Legolas said indignantly. "Arwen startled me!"  
  
"It does count!" Aragorn laughed.  
  
"What?" Arwen said, suspiciously.  
  
"Legolas and I bet on whether or not he could be able to shoot 1000 bulls eyes in a row." Aragorn said happily.  
  
"What were the terms of the bet?" She then asked.  
  
"I win, I get to kiss you. He wins, he gets to kiss Fanya." Legolas grumbled.  
  
"And Fanya is?"  
  
Legolas realized what he had said. He cursed under his breath. "And this is the mystery girl that you have been so cleverly avoiding telling us about?" Aragorn said, grinning.  
  
"Yes..." Legolas mumbled.  
  
"Ha!" Aragorn laughed again. "I get to win something twice today!  
  
"Well, I certainly hope this kiss will be a modest one, won't it?" Arwen shot at him.  
  
Aragorn stopped, and his face fell. "Oh... ya."  
  
Arwen glared. Only then did Legolas realize what Arwen had with her. She had brought a sword and a quiver full of arrows, as well as a Galadrim bow with her. She dropped her sword to the ground beside her and slung the quiver over her shoulder. She took aim and let loose an arrow. It flew slightly to the left of the center. She glanced at Legolas and Aragorn, who were both staring at her dumbfounded. She flipped some hair out of her face, and smiled flauntingly.  
  
"What are you doing?" asked Legolas, who seemed to come to his senses first.  
  
"You have not heard? There is a weaponry contest in two weeks. There will be the best swordsmen and archers there, and I'm going to enter."  
  
"Really?" asked Legolas hopefully.  
  
"Yes." She replied, shooting again.  
  
"Except one thing. You said the best archers were coming, Arwen. The best archer is here already." Said Aragorn smartly.  
  
"So I guess that you both are entering, now?" Arwen asked.  
  
"Why wouldn't we?" Aragorn and Legolas said in unison.  
  
"Because." Arwen began.  
  
"Because, why?" Legolas said.  
  
"Because you might not want to be shamed and beaten by a she-elf."  
  
And so training began. Legolas and Arwen trained in both archery and with a sword, and Aragorn practiced with only his sword, even though he was quite skilled with a bow. Whenever Arwen and Aragorn sparred, Aragorn found himself afraid to hurt her. So she most always won those. Legolas and Arwen would have silent archery competitions, on the other hand. She was good, but not as good as an elf who had been on scouting missions most of his life.  
  
A week before the competition, others started to show up for training. Legolas found about 10 more targets placed outside one morning, because the previous day, many elves complained that they had to wait for targets.  
  
There were only two she-elves competing. Arwen and Larien. Legolas watched Larien as she sparred with Arwen, and saw that she stood as fair competition.  
  
She moved gracefully and her moves were powerful. The only problem that Legolas saw, was that his old friend thought too much. In combat, you trust your instincts and strike when possible, Larien was plainly concentrating too hard, for it was written for all to see on her face.  
  
Arwen faked left and Larien fell for it. She was ready to strike, when Arwen placed her sword to her throat. You could see the surprise etched on her face! Arwen patted her on the back, and walked back to the archery targets, while Legolas took the time to talk to his old friend.  
  
"Mae govannen, mellonamin." he greeted her. "Sut naa lle?"  
  
"N'quel, I should have seen that coming!" she complained. She was breathing heavily, and wiped the sweat beads that had appeared there away.  
  
"You did well. You have gotten much better since I last saw you."  
  
"Yes, Legolas, but that was long ago! This is now, when the competition is a few days away!"  
  
"There is one thing that I can point out to you, for the time being, Larien..." Legolas tempted her.  
  
"Oh, so princy boy knows everything now, does he?" She stared at him expectantly. When he said nothing more, she whined, "Legolas tell me!"  
  
"Maaaaaaybe." he taunted. "I don't know if I want to say, now that you were so rude."  
  
"Leggy!" she whined.  
  
"I haven't been called that in years..." he said, reminiscent.  
  
"Tell me!" she said, tugging on his shirt sleeve like a begging child.  
  
"Nuh uh." he shook his head.  
  
She poked him in the side, but he danced out of her reach. "I'll tell you... If..."  
  
"If what, mellonamin?" she asked sweetly, still trying to poke him.  
  
"If you teach Meriadoc and Peregrin, the mischievous halflings, a few of the old pranks we used to pull. Apparently, they're running out." he said, smiling.  
  
"That? That's what you want me to do? I was expecting to have to run around Rivendell naked!" she laughed.  
  
"A few people here wouldn't say no to that..." he commented. She poked him again.  
  
"Are you going to tell me or not?"  
  
"Look, during a fight, a real life or death situation, do you that you will have time to figure out what move you are going to do? Not likely, mellonamin. You have to relax, feel the air in your chest, sense all that is around you without distraction, and most importantly, you have to let your surroundings power you. Mother Nature was one of the most powerful spirits created by Eru, and she gives you the gift of being able to draw energy from your surroundings. Keep that in mind when you fight."  
  
"How do you know all that?" she asked in awe.  
  
"Larien, near 2000 years of fighting has taught me a lot." he smiled and turned away, feeling that he was finished training that day.  
  
_-~^*^~-_-~^*^~-_-~^*^~-_-~^*^~-_-~^*^~-_  
  
A/N: Next chapter is part B! Review responses at the end of next chapter...like I said...it use to be one chapter, but I'm breaking it in half... :D  
  
~Ivy  
  
(THANKS ARDONELLE FOR BETA-ING!) 


	22. The Contest II

A/N: AND PART B! Review responses at the end of the chapter! Enjoy!  
  
Chapter 20B: The Contest  
  
"Legolas?" Fanya asked to the gloom. "Are you here?" no answer came. She was standing in that open field. This time, though, there were rocks. Big boulders were jutting out of the ground. She found a rather large one and clambered onto it with some effort... 'This is one of those times when elven grace would be nice.' she thought, situating herself on the top of the big rock. She looked at the sky. Strangely, you couldn't tell whether it was night or day. It appeared to be a kaleidoscope of colors, changing and glittering... ~  
"Legolas?" he heard his name being called as sleep took him back in his room. He wanted to answer, but found that he could not.  
  
And he, like Fanya, found himself in the field. He walked a ways, and found his favorite elf sitting on a rock, staring into space.  
  
"Fanya?" he called up to her. She looked down, and upon seeing him, she hopped off the rock.  
  
Legolas took her in an embrace, holding her tightly. He kissed her softly on her forehead, and the both of them sat on the ground, looking at the sky as it changed. Fanya rested her head on Legolas' shoulder. One of her hands was in Legolas', the other was playing with Legolas' silky hair.  
  
Fanya looked up at Legolas and smiled sweetly at him. He looked at her curiously. Not that he didn't like her to smile, she was beautiful and the changing skylight danced on her face.  
  
"What are you thinking?" she asked him quietly, scooting closer to him and wrapping her arms around him.  
  
"Mostly about you, partially about the real world."  
  
"What is happening? I mean, everybody is so tense in Gondor." she commented, thinking back to her visit with the steward...  
  
Legolas sighed before starting. He didn't want to bring Fanya into this big mess. "The one ring of power is found again, the ring that the dark lord Sauron created to control the other twenty rings of each separate race." he answered her confused thoughts. She was too young to have heard about all the tales of the one ring.  
  
"That's awful! But why are you worrying about it now?"  
  
"Because...I am in a company of nine and we set out in a few weeks to destroy it." he told her about the council, and of the past month.  
  
"But...what if I never get a chance to see you again?" she asked, frowning.  
  
"I don't know, mela."  
  
"The ring has to go into Mordor to be destroyed, right?" she asked him, a plan forming in her mind.  
  
"Uma,"  
  
"Then we can still see each other!"  
  
"What?" he was confused. She was in Gondor, he, in Rivendell. How was there a chance to see each other?  
  
"Chances are, something is going to go wrong on your way to Mordor. All plans encounter faults. If I know Aragorn and Mithrandir during a crisis, he will go for refuge."  
  
"But where is safe enough for that?"  
  
"Lorien. It is beautiful, and quite untouched by evil."  
  
"But-"  
  
"Just try and get there. I'll be waiting." she interrupted him. She picked up his hand from where it had been dangling at his side and looked up into his soft brown eyes. "I must leave, the daylight calls me."  
  
Instead of vanishing, this time she leant over and kissed him deeply. Somehow, Legolas knew that she missed him just as much as he missed her. When they broke apart, she whispered, "Amin mela lle," kissed him lightly and disappeared into thin air.  
  
_-^*^-_-^*^-_-^*^-_-^*^-_-^*^-_  
  
"Welcome to Imladris, my friends! I am sure you have trained long and hard for this year's weaponry tournament!" Spoke Elrond, standing on a podium in front of a crowd of about 100 competitors and about 200 spectators. "In the next two days, we will find out who is the best in archery and swordsmanship. Today is the archery contest, tomorrow the sword competition. And now, let the tournament begin!" Elrond stepped to the side, as archers prepared themselves for the first elimination round.  
  
Legolas found Arwen with Aragorn, who was encouraging her in whispers.  
  
"Arwen, we must go." Legolas said. Arwen gave Aragorn a last kiss (for the time being) and left to walk with Legolas. She was plainly a nervous wreck. She was staring straight ahead and was running her hands up and down her bow. "Calm down," he said, stopping her hand from its travel up the wood, "If your this nervous, you'll miss every shot!"  
  
Arwen nodded and stopped running her hand up the bow but was still staring rigidly in front of her.  
  
The way the contest worked was through elimination rounds. Legolas walked to a board where the contestants and their competition were listed. He located his name with some difficulty and learned he was paired with someone named Estelye. The target that he was set up on was number 34, and Estelye was 35.  
  
More targets were set up, so each person could compete. Legolas stood next to his target, waiting for his competitor. He spotted Arwen down the line, and waved. She nodded back at him. Spectators were lined in a circle around the circle.  
  
"M...Mae govannen," spoke a nervous voice behind him. Legolas turned his attentions to a nervous looking elf, with long dark hair, and dark eyes. "Vedui," Legolas replied.  
  
"Its going to be a great day today, isn't it?" he said in what must have been a higher voice than normal. Legolas would have calmed the boy down, but he was starting to feel the excitement that only a tournament could bring. A buzzing energy seemed to flow through him, as a whistle blew, and the judg started to walk up the rows. When the judge reached Legolas and Estelye, he stopped and started to talk.  
  
"On my whistle, both of you aim. On my second whistle, shoot. The one who gets closest to the center advances. If you tie, we will repeat until one of you misses." he situated himself between them and blew his whistle once. Legolas aimed. Estelye was breathing heavily next to him, and his arms were shaking. The judge blew the whistle again. Legolas took one last breath before letting the arrow go. It hit dead center. Estelye's arrow on the other hand was two rings out from the middle circle.  
  
"You advance, you train harder." the judge said, first addressing Legolas, then Estelye.  
  
Legolas grinned, glad that he had advanced. He looked forward to a better competition in the next round.  
  
He found Arwen in a group of people who had made it to the second round.  
  
"I got lucky," she announced as Legolas walked over to her, "An elf of little practice stood as little competition."  
  
"I thought you said the best would be here in this competition." Legolas said as he stretched and yawned.  
  
"Well yes, but first you have to get through the elflings." she smiled. "And then comes the real fun."  
  
'Such a dramatic change in behavior' He thought, remembering the nervous wreck she was before.  
  
"...Can't wait, can you?"  
  
"What? Oh, no, I can't wait another minute." Legolas agreed, not entirely sure what he was agreeing to.  
  
Another whistle. "Come here and see who you're going to beat." Arwen dragged him over to the board, now with another list of names.  
  
Again, Legolas located his name, at target 25, and his partner, Hithrion. He walked with Arwen until she had to leave at target 36. Then he approached his assigned target and an elf standing next to it.  
  
Legolas' previous competition had dark hair and eyes, but this elf looked dark, almost evil.  
  
His jet black hair contrasted dramatically with his fair skin, and his eyes were clouded in shadow.  
  
He didn't speak, but merely glared at Legolas from his sunken eyes. He ran a calm hand up and down his dark, wooden, polished bow, letting his fingers linger here and there. Whistles blew every few seconds as the second round began.  
  
Hithrion was now fingering one of his blue-feathered arrows, made of the same dark wood as his bow. Legolas was watching him out of the corner of his eye while the judge came closer...  
  
The same judge, Legolas could have sword he was the only judge, arrived at their targets. He explained the rules again, even though they had not changed one bit, and blew his first whistle. Hithrion whipped an arrow out of his quiver, and Legolas did the same.  
  
'this isn't going to be as easy as last time,' he thought. Hithrion seemed to have quite a bit of skill. The second whistle blew, and Legolas released his arrow, to his left, Hithrion did the same.  
  
"Alright," the judge said, walking up to where both arrows had hit the target center. The judge leant close to both of the targets before straightening up and walking to Legolas.  
  
"Nice job, you advance." Legolas smiled and his eyes sparkled. (*autheress melts*) Hithrion glared at Legolas and sulked away.  
  
Legolas walked over to get some water, glad that his day was going well.  
  
Legolas advanced through the next few rounds with ease. Arwen, however, made it to the last elimination round before she was beaten by Tiríthon. Legolas saw her with Aragorn and walked over towards her.  
  
"How are you?" he asked sympathetically.  
  
"Disappointed, but happy. You at least will win, and ayways, theres the sword tournament tomorrow."  
  
"Yes, yet theres no gurantee of my winning today."  
  
"Yes there is. You're much better than the rest of the competition!"  
  
Legolas looked around at where the remaining elves were standing. There were four left and they were all quite good. "I must take my leave, I'm sure you want to talk." Legolas winked at Aragorn, who grinned.  
  
Legolas wove through the crowd, back to the competition grounds, where 4 other elves, strong and probably the best of each elven realm.  
  
One of them, Legolas observed was cheerful and talking animatedly to another, who was in an equally happy mood and seemed to be bouncing on the balls of his feet.  
  
The other two were looking grim. One was slightly nervous, the other quite expressionless. Legolas could pair one of them with a name, but the other one was a mystery. He knew he had seen him before, but couldn't pinpoint it. Gilion, the one who was looking almost queasy, was one of the higher rank guards of the palace.  
  
As he approached, Gilion snapped attention and bowed. "My lord, it is wonderful to see y-"  
  
Legolas interrupted him. "Gilion, no formalities, please. I did not leave Mirkwood to be treated as if I am glass." He said.  
  
"Very well, my lord Legolas." He said. There was an awkward pause as Gilion thought of something to say. "Tis a beautiful day. It is perfect for archery."  
  
'Oh, the originality. A weather comment.' Legolas thought. "Yes, it is." He agreed out of good nature. A person behind him spoke coldly.  
  
"We meet again, Prince Greenleaf," the elf spat.  
  
"Althon." Legolas finally concluded, saying the word coolly. Althon was a schoolmate of Legolas', and had been so jealous of Legolas in every aspect of his young life. So jealous, that it drove him to despise him. Legolas had always had the upper hand of everything: he was a prince, was excellent in archery, and had every elf maiden swooning over him every waking moment.  
  
"Long time, no see, mellon." Althon hissed sarcastically.  
  
Legolas could not think of something to say, but stared coldly at Althon. "Truly, I am amazed that you have advanced this far, Prince. I would have thought that somebody was to beat you. But no matter, I will have the honor to do that now." He said, his voice dripping in .  
  
"Beat me? Oh no. Why would I allow myself to let that happen?" Legolas asked sarcastically.  
  
"Oh I will. Trust me." He hissed again. A whistle blew in the distance.  
  
"I will defeat you." Legolas replied. "There is no question of that."  
  
A judge walked over to the group, and explained the rules. "You will each fire a shot. The elf farthest away from the center is eliminated. You will shoot again, and the process starts over again. Any elf who does not play fair is disqualified. Good luck." The judge led them over to five targets in the middle of a crowd of elves. Some were calling out the names of competitors, and other jeering them. Legolas heard a few choruses of "Legolas! Legolas!" or "The prince will win!" and he waved, then settled himself at his target. A whistle blew, and he aimed. The crowd was silent...another whistle blew, and he fired.  
  
WHAM. Dead center.  
  
The crowd cheered and whistled and hollered in joy. The judge examined all five of the targets, then pointed to Gilion, who walked away. The crowd enveloped him in cheers and pats on the back. He hung his head in defeat yet continued to watch the remaining four.  
  
Legolas calmed himself down. He was overjoyed at his advance, but concentrated. 'any distraction will throw me off.' he thought.  
  
The whistle blew. He took aim again. The second whistle, and four arrows soared to their targets. One of the cheerful elves left. Two more whistles, and the other cheerful elf left the grounds. The last whistle... it was between Althon and him...  
  
One whistle... 'Concentrate...' he aimed, blocking out the entire world. 'Don't worry, princy boy...' came an invisible whisper... 'Fanya...' he thought. Another whistle. Legolas let the arrow fly and watched it as if it was slowed down... Closer and closer it flew, before inserting itself into the center of the target.  
  
Legolas beamed, and he looke to Althon's target, which the arrow was slightly off.  
  
"I WAS DISTRACTED!" Althon yelled over the roar of the crowd. "ALL OF THE CHEERING THREW ME OFF BALANCE!"  
  
"I am sorry, but distractions resulting in bad aim is no reason. You take second place." The judge said comfortingly to Althon. Althon, however struggled to get to Legolas. "I will not be second to him!" he cried, being held back phsically by several elves.  
  
Legolas backed away from the scene, to the tumultuous roaring crowd. He was inhaled by the mass and drowned in cheers. He was smacked on the back a couple times, and was jostled around madly. Aragorn and Arwen found him. "Great job!" Aragorn said, dragging him out of the mob. Arwen kissed his cheek, "I told you that there was no competition!" she squealed. Legolas just nodded his head. Her face fell.  
  
"Legolas what is wrong?"  
  
"I...actually...don't know, myself." He said. "I'm happy about winning, but something drags my heart downward."  
  
Arwen looked concerned. "Let's go to your room, we can discuss it there." She whispered. She looked at Aragorn, "Meet me on the bridge tonight." She whispered into his ear, before kissing it  
  
Yells of "Great job, Legolas!" and "Congratulations!" followed him and Arwen as they wove in and out of the crowd. Arwen was guiding him, and he was just walking wherever she went.  
  
Yes, he was happy. He was glad he won the contest, but he realized something, as Arwen steered him through the hallways and into his room. He wasn't, and would not be happy until he saw Fanya again.  
  
The force of this thought hit him head on, that he, Legolas was so lovesick that when he was away from her he would despair until reunited. Even if she didn't love him, he would continue to feel this way... even if it was his death.  
  
_-^*^-_-^*^-_-^*^-_-^*^-_-^*^-_  
  
Arwen stared at him, her eyes searching for emotions in his. With the gift that she inherited from her grandmother, she could see emotions a lot easier than most elves could, although she had not mastered reading minds, she could pick up on some thought waves, though not many.  
  
The eyes of an elf show emotion. Mortal's faces show emotion, and if they are not trained in the ways of elves, they could see an elf as happy, when an elf is despairing. In Legolas' soft brown eyes were written all of his emotions; including love, loneliness, and happiness... a strange trio to mix; yet they can mix all the same. Arwen took one of his hands, and rubbed it gently with her thumb. Legolas looked up at her, and grinned a silent 'thank you'.  
  
"Arwen, you know, if you want to go be with Aragorn, you can." Legolas murmured.  
  
The truth was, Arwen did want to be with Aragorn. She was in love, and when you are in love, you have to be with whoever they are, else you despair. But she couldn't see him now. She had a friend to be with. Arwen remembered something. Something from back when they were in love.  
  
*Flashback*  
  
"Come on!" Arwen grabbed Legolas' elbow and dragged him across the courtyard, up the stairs, through the hallways, and into her bedroom. They sat on her bed, and chatted about what had happened since they saw each other last.  
  
Legolas took the time to survey her. She was beautiful; she always had been, but she sort of glowed... it was all very strange. She was related to Galadriel and Luthien Tinuviel, two of the most beautiful elves in existence, so it was no question that she appeared ethereal. She had wavy raven hair, a pale face, perfect complexion... wow, he had never noticed her this way before.  
  
"Legolas? Are you alright?" she asked curiously, peering at his face.  
  
"I'm fine." He replied, giving his head a little shake.  
  
"What about you? Something must have happened in 500 years." She asked.  
  
"No, not really...." he commented. She looked disappointed, "Hey, there's gullible written on the ceiling," he laughed. She looked up, but glared when she realized it was a joke. "Of course something happened, it was 500 years!"  
  
He started on a few topics, such as meeting Larien, his best friend, learning archery, and just being a prince in general.  
  
"It's all quite boring, to be quite frank." He said. "I mean, you're a princess, you know what I mean. Arwen?" she had been gazing at him strangely, and he waved a hand in front of her face. She snapped back to attention and nodded.  
  
"Yes, I agree."  
  
"Do you know what you just agreed to?" she shook her head. Legolas grinned evilly and pushed her to the edge of the bed, where she wavered on the edge, and finally fell off. She lay there on her back, laughing and trying to tell Legolas off for shoving her off the bed. Legolas rested on his stomach on the bed, placing his elbows in front of him and letting his chin rest in his palms. He was laughing as well, glad that the two of them could enjoy menial discussions and fun without having to act important or formal.  
  
She stood, and pounced on the bed, grabbing a pillow and throwing it at him. He parried it, and snatched at another pillow, and sent it in her direction. She squealed and turned; letting it hit her back. The pillow fight went on for a couple minutes, before they both lay flat on their backs on the bed, breathing heavily.  
  
"Having fun?" she asked, through breaths.  
  
"No, not yet." He rolled over and sat up.  
  
"What?" she asked, sitting as well, frowning slightly. How could he not be having fun after all that?"  
  
He leaned over and planted a feather soft kiss on her lips. She gasped, but strangely returned the gesture.  
  
"Now I'm having fun."  
  
*end flashback*  
  
She grinned, and grabbed a pillow. Legolas was looking curiously at her, when she threw it at him. Legolas picked it up, and tossed it at her. She grabbed two at once, and threw them both at the same time. Legolas just grinned, and returned the gesture. The two of them threw pillows at each other until they were both lying on the bed, out of breath.  
  
"Having fun?" she asked him, looking at him.  
  
Legolas nodded, staring at the ceiling. "You know, I would kiss you, but I don't think Aragorn would agree with that." He said slyly. She slapped his hand playfully. Legolas turned over, and scooted over to be closer to her. "So I'll just do this." He kissed her forehead.  
  
Arwen sat up. "I'm going to go to dinner, are you coming?"  
  
"No, I'm going to turn in early."  
  
"But you haven't eaten anything all day!"  
  
"I'll eat something tomorrow," he said grinning. "Now go and fool Elrond into believing that you don't love Aragorn, and I'm going to go to bed." She nodded, and walked down the hallway. He lay down on his bed, but realized that all the pillows were scattered all over his room. So he grudgingly stood up, and tossed all the pillows into a heap where his head was supposed to be, and flopped down on the bed. Instantly falling asleep.  
  
A/N: Well, there you have it! I'm so proud of myself! *hugs self* *Orli looks scared* I hope you liked my flashback. Let me know if you want to read the little story I got that from...yes, it's my story, I didn't steal it from someone else!! I'll email you it. It's a vocabulary 'essay' and it's about Leggy and Arwen falling in luv! *sigh* (I'm such a romance freak!)  
  
And now, review responses!:  
  
Shivvers: Well thanks! I hope your story is going well........and Orli's abs are nice, aren't they? *Orli in background* I HEARD THAT!!! ......whoopsiedasie! ^^ Well, I hope that this chapter keeps you entertained!  
  
The Lady Ellesar: Did I spell it right? *hopeful expression* Hope you had fun beta-ing this chapter! *evil laugh* No not really.....so how bored are you? Was Henry *youknowwho* cool? When's the next chapter I'm beta-ing coming my way!? Anywho, I need not say anything here, because I've already thanked you enough...and if I haven't......THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOUTHAAAANKK YOOOOOOUUU!!! :D  
  
Feanen: I can always expect a review from you! Thanks!  
  
Bethany Wood: I spy a new reader! I hope you like it, and I hope you enjoy this new chapter. :D Thanks! Loveroflegolas: I TOTALLY AND COMPLETELY AGREE!!! *shields orli's eyes from screen* :) Enjoy! And thanks for dropping the review!  
  
Bex13: I've never heard that. I knew that Aragorn was one of the Dunadain, but I've never heard of half-elven....with all of his human ancestors, I'd think that he's like 1/5390th elven. :D And about the elvish, just go to google, and type in "Elvish Prases" and click the first one. It'll bring up a whole bunch of phrases, grammar, etc. Thanks for the review!!  
  
Evilducktape101: I'm sorry for putting spiders in my story. I just had to. It's all part of the plot...my EVIL PLOT TO SCARE PEOPLE OUT OF THEIR MINDS!! MUAH HA HA!! *calms down* Okay... yeeeeaaaah. I'm done. Thanks for reading, and I hope that you like this chapter!  
  
And there you have it everybody! All the review responses! I noticed I'm not getting as many, what gives? No, really. I love reviews, and almost getting 150 is bouncing me to the moon and back! I luv you all!!!!!! *huggles everybody...orli looks (sexy) and scared.  
  
Is anyone else SUPER HAPPY that Orlando Bloom (yes, the real one) signed in for Pirates of the Caribbean TWO!!! I'm super super happy!!! Because MORE ORLI MOVIES, MEANS MORE SUPER HAPPY FANS!!! *goes wild...orli slips out of room unnoticed*  
  
Yeah. Go read The Lady Ellesar's stories, Elijah Orphen's stories, and Fire Sage's stories. I beta for all of them... and I'm still in the market! If any of you need stories to beta, I'm open!  
  
My friend asked me to ask for feedback on a story she's writing how would you like to read a (mary sue...i'm sorry people) story about an elf named Bella, who cannot talk. Legomance, then she is captured by the orc that killed her parents, and I don't know what happens after that...she hasn't written it yet! The way she's writing is quite like my style, kind of modern-tolkien kind of mix. So just send feedback!  
  
I want several things in my reviews: ~Something you liked ~Something you want to see in this story (with either Fanya or Legolas, I don't care) ~Something I can work on/change. ~And Something about what you think of my friend's stories.  
  
Thank you so much, I love you all! ~The Hobbit Ivy 1/15/04  
  
(THANK YOU ARDONELLE FOR BETA-ING, YOU ARE THE BEST ELF IN ALL OF ARDA!) 


	23. New Friends

A/N: Okies... all in favor of murdering the authoress say I!  
  
Orli: I!!!  
  
Me: Orli doesn't count!  
  
Orli: ~curses~  
  
Me: Well, the reason of you murdering me (or wanting to) is because I haven't updated in about...almost two months... I'M REALLY SORRY! I seriously found writers block hell in this chapter, and alas! Homework was doubled in the past few weeks! Now that I have a pretty week of nothing to do (and I mean NOTHING) I can update a whole bunch! ~cheer~  
  
Orli: And her being home means ~sigh~ MORE of her friends ogling me.  
  
Me: One is coming over tonight.  
  
Orli: Again?  
  
Me: Oh, and my new favorite reviewer Candy_Is_Yum (luv ya!) says that Lucky Charms is bad for your complexion... so you get Wheatabix now! ~evil laughter~  
  
Orli: Noooooooo! Save me!!!!  
  
Disclaimer: Orli is mine, not Kate's... MUAH HA HAAA!!! And oh, Fanya's mine too... MUAH HA HAAA! The rest belongs to Tolkien... MUAH HA- wait...  
  
Chapter 21:  
  
It was sunset, and Fanya sat quietly in the lonely oak tree outside of Ana's house. Only the flowers surrounded it as company. Fanya's legs dangled down, straddling the branch, and her back was resting on the thick trunk. Her eyes scanned the horizon, with it's dramatic oranges, reds, golds, and purples. She wondered whether her father was watching the sunset...whether Legolas was seeing the sunset. She closed her eyes for a minute, breathing in the cooling air, finding herself at peace. Finally, after days of worrying, she was calm.  
  
A quiet voice spoke from the ground. "Fanya?"  
  
Fanya's eyes were drawn from the sunset down to the ground. "Yes, Terra?"  
  
"What are you doing up there?" she asked innocently.  
  
"I'm thinking." Fanya replied, stealing a glance at the rapidly sinking sun.  
  
"'Bout what?"  
  
"About things..."  
  
"About your daddy?"  
  
"Well, no. I was thinking about Lothlórien."  
  
"Lotfatdanethien?" the girl looked confused, it was so adorable.  
  
"Loth-lór-i-en," Fanya said slowly. "it's a forest where elves live."  
  
"Oooooh. Do YOU live there? YOU'RE an elf!"  
  
Fanya chuckled, "No, little one. I do not live there." She snuck another look at the sun, which by now had completely disappeared below the horizon. "Terra, would you mind too much if I left here?" Fanya asked, jumping down to the flowered ground. She knew what she would miss most was Terra, and she wanted to make sure that Terra would be okay with her leaving.  
  
"Why would you do that?" Terra asked, as if it was a stupid question with an obvious answer, although there was a hint of disappointment in her voice. "You grew up here, don't you like it?"  
  
Fanya thought for a moment. She didn't exactly like it here; that was easy to answer. Humans were so stuffy; they didn't really appreciate space like elves do. She missed the forests of Mirkwood.  
  
"Terra, I cannot stat here, it is not my home anymore." She knelt down and grasped Terra's tiny hands in hers. "I promise that I will come back to you, to visit. For you still have many years to live." Fanya was afraid that the little girl would cry for her to not leave... that would probably make Fanya feel guilty and stay.  
  
Fanya kissed the girl's forehead. "Come, you need to go to bed, it is getting late," Terra nodded solemnly, and held the Half Elf's hand, as they walked back to Ana's house, where they met Gerin and Ana.  
  
"Terra, dear, what is wrong?" Gerin asked, looking concerned for her daughter, (who was shuffling her feet, her head staring at her feet, which was making Fanya begin to feel very guilty.)  
  
Terra mumbled something that only Fanya was able to catch. "Fanya is leaving..."  
  
"What, dear?"  
  
"Fanya is leaving." Terra muttered sadly, staring at the same spot on the floor.  
  
Ana turned her eyes on Fanya, gazing at her as if to ask 'is she right?', which Fanya nodded to. "But why?" Ana asked. "You have been here only a day!"  
  
"Gondor is lovely, but it is not my home. Home is where my heart is, and though part of it is here, with you, Gerin, and Terra, the majority of it is in Mirkwood, with my father. I am sorry, but I feel I need not stay longer that is needed." Fanya said, starting to regret leaving people she loved behind. All three of the humans wore sad faces, and Terra's eyes were getting misty.  
  
"Fanya, just know that we love you, and you are always welcome back." Fanya nodded, and turned, smiling to Terra.  
  
"Thank you, Ana. Terra? Do you want me to put you to bed?" Terra nodded, wiping her eyes, and jumping into Fanya's arms. Fanya bent a little so it was easier for the little girl. She laughed, and kissing Terra's forehead brought her into her room. She set her down on the small wooden bed.  
  
"Fanya?" Terra whispered as she snuggled into the pillow.  
  
"Yes, Terra?" Fanya replied softly, bringing the covers up to cover the girl's body.  
  
"Could you sing me a song? In Elvish?" She asked, her voice starting to slow in her fatigue.  
  
Fanya sang her a song about sunsets. The girl's breathing slowed eventually, and a little snore came from her mouth. Fanya whispered, "Terra, I promise I will come back to see you. I promise," she kissed the girl's forehead again and walked silently out of the room.  
  
"Ana?" she said, as she emerged into the room where Ana and Gerin still stood silently.  
  
"That was a lovely song you sang to Terra, Fanya," Gerin complimented.  
  
"Thank you," Fanya replied. "Ana?" she repeated, gazing worriedly at her sister.  
  
"Yes, Fanya?" she replied, turning her attention to Fanya.  
  
"I regret leaving you again, I really do, but you must understand, being here brings back memories that I rather never surfaced." Fanya told her sincerely.  
  
"Fanya, I do not blame you. I won't say that I understand you're situation, because I have lived her my whole life, and I see no problem with it, but as you know an other life, I could not force you to abandon it", Ana smiled sweetly at her.  
  
"Gerin, it has been a pleasure meeting you and your daughter. I will never forget either of you," Fanya hugged her niece, then her sister.  
  
Fanya went into her room, gathered her belongings quietly and stuffed them into her bag. She went back into the main room, where Gerin and Ana were talking. She gave them both a hug again, thanked them for their hospitality. She gave a last wave before walking out of the door.  
  
~^~  
  
The journey out of Gondor and through the endless plains was uneventful. The guards gave her a friendly wave as she left the last circle of Gondor, and she graced them with a smile... She didn't think they got many smiles as a guard.  
  
Morion was a fast horse and she bore Fanya swiftly to Lothlorien. Fanya would sing little traveling songs to herself and Morion when she had nothing else to do. She was really in no hurry to get to Lothlorien, for she had no other plans in what to do or where to go.  
  
It took her about two weeks to travel to Lothlorien. As Morion galloped up a final hill, Fanya gently stopped her and gazed into the valley below. It was a blanket of green trees unlike any other realm. Mirkwood was dark and had creatures haunting every silent step you took. Not like Rivendell, which is a valley of peaceful glory and celebration. Lothlorien had a certain beauty that you could not put your finger on. It was so peaceful and untouched by evil that it took your breath away. It looked new, yet had a certain timeless feel that you could not identify. Each and every tree was one of its own, but still looked like it belonged in a group. It was all so amazing that Fanya stopped breathing, and only when her horse snorted as if to say 'Are we going?' did she remember where she was.  
  
She nudged Morion into a slow amble and slowly descended the hill. As she entered the forest, the trees seemed to envelop her. The magic around her almost seemed to magically enclose her mind, so she thought nothing of departing from the magical forest. She remembered something that her father told her once: 'Magic is a mind trick,' he had said. Somehow, she found she could finally relate to it.  
  
"Traveler from abroad, what brings you here?" spoke a voice from above her. Down dropped a blonde haired elf from a tree, followed by two more elves looking quite like him.  
  
"Heru en amin, I come for travels sake, if for any reason at all." She replied, bowing. "My name is Fanya Helyan, and I am an elf of Mirkwood."  
  
"Fanya, are you related to Linque Helyan?" the blonde elf on the left spoke.  
  
"Uma. He is my father." Fanya replied.  
  
"My name is Orophin." The same elf replied. "These are my brothers Rumil and Haldir," he said, gesturing to the right and middle elves."  
  
"Mae govannen," Fanya said bowing again.  
  
"Come. We will take you to the heart of the wood," Haldir said to her, beckoning for her to follow the three of them.  
  
Haldir, Rumil, and Orophin were honorable elves. Haldir, she learned, was Chief Marchwarden of the Galadhrim. He was quiet and serious, and slow to trust. His sharp eyes, Fanya presumed, were from centuries of guarding, and his chiseled figure with strong muscles were probably from fighting and protecting. Haldir was the oldest out of his brothers.  
  
Rumil was very friendly, but slow to trust like his brother. She learned he was one of the Guard as well, but he was not as brave as either of his brothers and was not called to duty as often. He looked very much like his brother, though he had not the sharp eyes. Rumil was the middle child, but very close in age to the younger brother.  
  
The last brother, Orophin, was like in appearance, but not in spirit. He was quickly a friend and she could see that he dealt out trust as if they were playing cards. He was humorous, witty, intelligent, and friendly. Fanya was most attracted to this brother, the youngest one, and though it was not a romantic attraction, she could tell he would be a friend.  
  
Haldir led the group down paths and through the beautiful forest. Fanya had lost what ever tense feelings she had felt earlier, and was chatting lightly with Orophin.  
  
"You said that you were from Mirkwood. What's it like?"  
  
"Creepy, dark, spider-infested, but still home. I presume that it would be lovely to live there if all of the evil wasn't there." Fanya answered thoughtfully.  
  
"I've never been there, although I would love to go." Orophin answered.  
  
Their conversation continued on for quite a long time. Amazingly, Fanya found that there were almost no lags in conversation. Her and Orophin seemed to have a lot in common.  
  
Hours and hours of walking (Morion ambling behind the group,) brought the party to the outer part of Lothlorien. Haldir guided the group of them into the city. "Orophin, Rumil." He addressed his two brothers. "I have to return to the post. Orophin, can you take our lady guest to temporary quarters?" Haldir asked. Fanya was still quite surprised at his formality... had they not just spent the last couple hours in each other's presence? Haldir was averting his eyes from Fanya and he quickly bowed himself out of the party.  
  
Fanya looked at Rumil and Orophin questioningly. Both of them shrugged. Rumil excused himself, muttering about going to meet someone, and that left Fanya and Orophin. "I guess it's just us," Orophin laughed. "Come on, I'll show you to the area where guests stay.  
  
The two of them walked side by side quietly. Fanya was still wondering about Haldir's actions. When she ran that by Orophin he laughed and waved it aside.  
  
"My dear brother always has mood swings. Just ignore it, mellonamin." He advised. But Fanya could not stop thinking of it... Orophin guided her to a little glade. It was not quite a house; it had no roof or protection except a few little places where trees hung low and densely. It was at ground level, not a talan, which were up in the trees. It was quite a big area, about 50 yards across both ways. She asked about this, and Orophin chuckled. "Sometimes, we have so many guests that residents have to give up their talans for quite a while," but he said that it had not happened in quite a while. "Just make yourself comfortable, and sleep wherever you want to. I don't expect many people will be coming for a while, although, we have a few guests as it is."  
  
"Where can I bathe?" she asked politely. "I feel disgusting," she added, with a bit of humor. Orophin pointed at the other end of the enclosure.  
  
"Past those two trees is a hot spring which guests use. There are cloths to dry off around the area." Fanya thanked Orophin and turned around, but he stopped her gently. "How about I come around later and take you to dinner," he suggested.  
  
"Sounds great, thanks." Fanya smiled and dropped her stuff beside a tree root, and walked over to the two trees that Orophin pointed out. Behind them, steaming, was an enormous hot spring. Fanya stripped herself of her dirty clothing that she had been wearing for what seemed forever. She had left Gondor in such a hurry that she had not washed her clothing as she intended to. So, instead of leaving them in a pile on the side of the spring, she carried them in with her, knowing that at the bottom of the spring was probably a bunch of dirt anyways...  
  
She stepped into the spring and felt instantly relaxed. 'It must be something in the water...' she thought. She waded into a relatively deep part of the pool and started to rub her body clean. When she had cleaned herself as thoroughly as she could, she waded back over to where her clothes were sitting, and grabbed her tunic. She dipped it into the water and watched as an amazing explosion of dirt erupted from the small piece of clothing. When she had managed to get out quite a bit of the dirt, she held it up and squeezed most of the water out of it. Holding it up, she was amazed that there was actually a color under all of that grime. She repeated the same process with the rest of her clothing, and lay them all out on rocks so that the afternoon sun might dry them.  
  
When she had gotten out of the hot spring and wrapped a towel around her, she stepped back between the trees and found a dress folded neatly over her pack. She picked it up and held it up, examining it closely. Pinned to it was a note.  
  
'Fanya- I didn't want to give you this in person, you may have not been decent. This is a simple dress that I bought for you, because I knew that you did not have anything nice to wear to dinner. -Orophin'  
  
"Well, that's sweet of him," Fanya muttered to herself. The dress was just a plain white gown, with little to no pattern or uniqueness. Fanya dropped the towel on the ground and slipped on the dress. It wasn't a perfect fit, and it was a bit longer than she would have preferred, but it made her feel positively ethereal. There was a sort of elegance in it that she couldn't explain, quite like everything else in this forest.  
  
"Lle naa vanima," a voice spoke from behind her. She turned and saw that Orophin was smiling at her.  
  
"Diolla lle, mellonamin." She smiled at him.  
  
He walked over to her and playfully offered his arm to her, bowing and looking very serious. He plastered a funny accent on his voice and said, "May I take you to dinner, Arwenamin," Fanya laughed and Orophin dropped the mien, laughing along with her.  
  
"Of course, Heruamin." She said, taking his elbow. They both walked out of the glade giggling.  
  
~^~  
  
For the first time in forever she actually felt like she had eaten her fill. In Mirkwood, she got by on a fair amount of food. Traveling, she ate lembas, which got quite boring after a while. In Gondor, she felt so shut- in, in the stuffy world of humans. Fanya, Orophin, Haldir, and Rumil, as well as Rumil's wife, Vanithil, ate dinner together that night.  
  
That night, after all of the meal was resting peacefully in their stomachs, the group spent the rest of the night laughing away and telling jokes. Fanya quite enjoyed their company, but something there were some things that were just a bit unsettling. Haldir would not take his eyes off of her. As Orophin was pouring the last of the wine bottle into her glass, she politely asked to be excused. She threw a glance at Orophin, who excused himself as well. Haldir started to rise from his chair, but Rumil grabbed his arm and forced him back into his chair.  
  
"Haldir, sit! We are not yet finished!" He said. Fanya silently thanked him. As they left the talan and climbed down the ladder, Orophin asked, "Fanya, pray tell. What is wrong?"  
  
Fanya sighed, thinking of all of the wrong that had been going on in the world. The war, Haldir, Legolas... It was all very confusing... "Nothing, I just... needed to get some air."  
  
"Well, now that we're out of that boredom-chamber, lets say that we have some fun." Orophin said. Fanya raised her eyebrows and laughed.  
  
"Fun? Orophin. It's nearing midnight!" she exclaimed.  
  
"Well, that's when all of the fun, starts, mellonamin!" Orophin said, as if this was the most obvious thing in the world. "Come on! You go get out of that dress and put your tunic on, grab your weapons, and meet me here when you're done... I'm going to introduce you to some of my friends." He told her. She nodded, and dashed off.  
  
~^~  
  
"Orophin? Orophin!" she called out. Her clothing was clean and dry, and she had just finished strapping her quiver onto her back, and her sword to her waist. She was staring out into the enchanting darkness of the forest. Orophin walked under a patch of moonlight, and smiled. "Orohpin, where are we going?"  
  
"To the training fields." He answered. "My friends and I hold nightly contests and practices, just for fun. It will be interesting to see whether a she-elf can beat any of us." He smiled.  
  
"Sounds fun!" Fanya said, walking alongside him, examining her own bow. It was nothing much, just a long bow that Lenwe had let her use. Orophin's bow was long, sleek, and quite impressive. It looked very reliable.  
  
Orophin noticed what she was doing. "How are your archery skills, Fanya?"  
  
"Well, I only started training recently. My father put me through a crash course for me to learn how to use weapons. I'm fairly good." She answered modestly.  
  
"Well, if you're any good, you deserve another bow. This one is a bit worn..." he said, taking it from her and examining it closely.  
  
"It's one of the bows that my friend uses to train people... it's been used with many apprentices." She replied.  
  
"I can tell. Look how the handle has worn down." He said, examining it even closer.  
  
The two of them walked on in silence for another fifteen minutes. Orophin was occasionally glancing up to make sure they were going the right way (he had traveled this path almost every night), and Fanya was off in her little world thinking about Legolas. Her thoughts must have conveyed on her face, for Orophin voiced the question, "Who are you thinking about?" she realized she must have had a dreamy expression on her face.  
  
"No one in particular..." she lied, not wanting to think about how she had left Legolas all alone.  
  
"I can tell that it is a someone," he teased, though not pressing the subject. "Look over there, do you see the camplights?" he said, pointing ahead of them about 50 yards away.  
  
"I can see them, easily." She answered. She could also see shadows of elves and she heard soft conversations... every once and a while, she would hear a twang of a bowstring and the thud of an arrow hitting a target.  
  
"Vinyar! Tiri! Cerimon! Yuldar! Finwe! I have brought a friend!" he called into the darkness. All of the motion stopped, and Orophin beckoned Fanya forward with a smile. Five elves were standing in a quite big tree enclosure. There were five or six campfires lighting the area. To one side was an empty stretch of land (she presumed for sword fighting) and along the other side was three targets hanging on trees.  
  
"Who is this she-elf you have brought?" asked a blonde elf with dark eyes, standing yards away from a target.  
  
"Her name is Fanya..." he looked at her for help.  
  
"...Helyan. Fanya Helyan." She answered.  
  
"Yes, I knew that..." Orophin muttered sheepishly.  
  
"Any relation to Linque Helyan?" asked an elf to the left of the first one, also blonde, though with blue eyes.  
  
"I am his only daughter." She answered.  
  
"I am Finwe Telemnar," the first elf spoke, bowing his head.  
  
"And my name is Tiri Veneanar," the second elf spoke.  
  
From the other side of the enclosure came a third name. "Mae govannen, I am Cerimon Cuthalion," She looked at a third blonde elf. Cerimon bowed his head as well.  
  
"Yuldar Anarion," spoke the elf on the left of Cerimon, repeating the bowing gesture.  
  
"And my name is Vinya Tasatir." The final elf, on the right of Cerimon spoke,  
  
"Saes a'omentien llie," (Pleasure to meet you) she said, bowing her head as well.  
  
Orophin spoke. "I have invited Fanya over here to measure her skills in a competition," Orophin's eyes sparkled in the moonlight.  
  
"Competition?" Fanya hissed, so only Orophin could hear her. "You didn't say anything about a competition! You said we would practice!"  
  
"Oh, didn't I mention it?" he asked in a normal tone, grinning from pointed ear to pointed ear. Fanya sighed and huffed.  
  
Yuldar and Vinya were sniggering over on the long stretch of land. Yuldar had his sword out, and Vinya was twirling around his twin blades. Fanya sent a glare in their direction and they stopped.  
  
"It seems that our new friend has an attitude," Cerimon joked.  
  
"Oh, she's harmless enough." Orophin answered. Fanya took off her quiver and set her bow on the ground. She unsheathed her sword and pointed it at Orophin.  
  
"Well, are you sure of that?"  
  
A/N: Okay... finally. Like it? If I get 10 reviews for the next chapter, I'm giving Orli back his Lucky Charms!  
  
Review Responses:  
  
The Lady Elessar: Geez, I tried to spell it wrong *again*... Thanks for the review, you're the super-est beta dude person I've ever known! :)  
  
Feanen: Thankies! ^^  
  
Shivvers: Why would I stop writing about His Royal Hottness?????! (and another response below...)  
  
Loveroflegolas: Thanks for your so-overly-cool review! :)  
  
Shivvers: Again, I love you for reviewing!!!  
  
Kika1: Lol, internet curfew... mine during the summer is whenever I can't keep my eyes open! Lol! You get another response down the list too!  
  
Mercurial: Lol! I rock! Thanks!  
  
Bane of the Mary-Sues: Harharhar! I loved your flame it was HILARIOUS! All the bad language was a hit with my friends and I!!!  
  
Kika1: Here's your second review response... About the Arwen/Leggy pairings, I really don't mind them, but I knew that it would fit well in here for little... well, plagues of the past would hit His Royal Hottness. :) Thanks!  
  
YueMichiruNaragisawaMiko: It's okay that you couldn't have reviewed in the past, I'm just glad that you're still reading. ^^ Thankies!  
  
Kelse: Lol! More romance coming soon, I swear! And Orli is currently being obsessive about me not letting him have his Lucky Charms. ^^ Thanks for reviewing!  
  
Orlando's-gurl13: That was one of my favorite reviews, you really brightened up my day with that one! Thanks!!!  
  
BB: I'm glad you found it too! Thanks!!  
  
Leah: Oh, I love you for all those reviews! 1: Yes, I'll teach you elvish! 2: Yep. Orli does that a lot! 3: Ah, blue eyes are *definitely* sexy... ~dodges blow from Orli~ 4: And Orli doesn't get Wrinkles! And I completely agree with you. MS's aren't bad, they're just stories written by normal people. 5: I try to keep it as real as possible instead of 'Hi my name is Fanya' 'Hi, I'm Legolas' 'I love you'... lol. And Kate noticing he's gone? Pfft! She's too blonde! 6: Wow, I love you for all those compliments! ~hugs~.  
  
The Cynic: WTF is a review whore? Oh, and yes, people relate to Sues... who doesn't want to be perfect? AND HOW DO YOU EXPECT ME TO CREATE AN UGLY ELF!? THEY'RE ALL BEAUTIFUL BEYOND HUMAN UNDERSTANDING! Have a nice day! ~flicks off~  
  
And here's my question-of-the-chapter....  
  
Next chapter is going to be Legolas' POV... should I describe the sword competition in full, or should I do brief flashbacks or whatever? VOTE! And... REVIEW!!! The purply-blue button needs a friend!  
  
~The Hobbit Ivy 


	24. Guard Duty

A/N: Well, it really does seem like I'm apologizing every chapter! Finally, summer has arrived for me, and so I can update a lot more often!!! Wooo!!!! dances around

Orli is in the shower again. He was at the end-of-year party with me, and lets say that he had a little experience with a mud and my friends. =D hears chorus of 'Yo Ho' coming from shower

Yep. I think he's fine!

Disclaimer: I own Fanya. And Larien. And a bunch of other people. Yep... that's it! Tolkien owns the rest of the lot!!

I couldn't decide on a title, so I just chose both. One refers to Fanya, and the other to His Royal Hottness.

Chapter 22: Guard Duty / The Quest Begins

Lego-man POV

"There is no oath taken, no forceful bondage of this fellowship." Elrond's authoritative voice resonated over the nine companions, as well as the elves, dwarves, humans, and Bilbo. They had gathered to see the Fellowship off at the fiery sunset. "Any of you can depart from this mission, save one of your company." He threw a purposeful glance at the Ring bearer. Legolas was lined up beside a stiff-necked Aragorn, who seemed to be telepathically communicating with Arwen, their thoughts entwining into understanding.

"The company awaits the Ringbearer." Gandalf said solemnly. With this sobering statement, Frodo raised his eyes and looked temporarily mortified, as though being the head of a group would surely be his doom; but he collected himself and slowly made his way to the archway. Gandalf followed him, grey robes billowing behind him.

Legolas heard a whisper, "Gandalf, Mordor...is it right or left?" and he heard Gandalf direct him to his left. He chuckled inwardly at the Hobbit's innocence. Boromir was behind Gimli, and as he started to walk, Legolas sauntered forward as well. Aragorn stole a last glance at his beloved before he, too, ambled behind. He did not look back, as though seeing Rivendell another time would change his mind of leaving.

Clang! Clash! Legolas and Larien were sparring; a fiery shower of sparks each catapulting from their gleaming rapiers. Already in less than a month Larien had improved her sword master skills impressively. There still was quite a bit of room for her improvement, although she was quite a match.

_Legolas faked right, she moved to block her left side, and Legolas came in on an inside position, where he twirled his knives in his wrists, ducked under her arm skillfully and pressed his blade to her neck from behind her in naught but a second. The expression of surprise on her face was indescribable. _

The judge signaled that the match was over, and raised Legolas' arm in victory.

Legolas' fierce eyes scanned the horizon, evening sky rapidly becoming the color of ripe plums. It was his guard during the last shift of the day. All was quiet around him, and he could sense that there was no evil anywhere near them. Pippin was mumbling in his sleep about mushrooms, Aragorn and Gimli were snoring, Gandalf was pretending to be asleep, and Frodo, Sam, and Merry were silent.

It was nearing time when they had to leave, for the sun was rapidly sinking. Legolas was feeling extremely bored, and they were still close to Rivendell...

...He looked for something that would make a loud noise. He spotted Boromir's horn lying on top of his shield and pack next to him. Legolas picked up the horn and, standing right over Gimli, blew into it. Immediately all of the company jumped and awoke. Legolas, who had dropped the horn on Gimli's head when he was finished, was now fifteen feet away and chuckling.

"Legolas! You know better than that!" Aragorn scolded.

"Yes, but it was just so tempting!" Legolas laughed, no longer trying to hold his amusement back and clutching his stomach. "And we're still very close to Rivendell." He added, as if that settled the matter.

Pippin and Merry on the other hand, were completely in awe of Legolas' wake up call. "Wow! We have to try that sometime!" Pippin whispered to Merry.

"You will _not_!" Gandalf ordered. Pippin's mien dropped immediately and his face sank into an adorable pout. The group began to gather their supplies, and as Legolas was strapping on his quiver to himself, Pippin scooted over without anyone noticing. Legolas bent down and let the hobbit whisper into his ear, "Well, I thought it was funny."

The final match. Legolas was standing in the front row of the crowd. Aragorn and another elf, Intirion, were the finalists. Legolas had lost to Intirion, when he was caught off his guard and was tripped.

Aragorn and Intirion bowed, both staring daggers at each other and not looking away. There was a tense moment, when a bell clanged, and in a sweep of movement both men were fighting.

Aragorn ducked a blow from Intirion's sword and he came in under him, with a quick sweeping movement. He and Intirion sparred for what seemed like hours. They were equal in skill, and many of the elves were intrigued at how the mortal had become that skilled.

Arwen was ecstatic. She was bouncing around and she was wringing her hands nervously, muttering "Don't get hurt...Don't get hurt..." Legolas placed a friendly hand on her arm in comfort.

"He will not be harmed. He is a skilled sword master, and he is exceptional in his defensive abilities." He tried to sooth the nervous she-elf.

Finally, with a sweep of his leg, Aragorn tripped the elf, and pressed the tip of his blade against the elf's heart. The bell was heard again in the distance and Aragorn was the victor. 

Going onto the mountain of Caradharas was one of the more stupid decisions of Gandalf, according to Legolas. The mountain wasn't friendly to them and the winds were bone chilling, whipping against them without mercy.

He, of course, didn't have to plow through the snow like his other eight companions; probably the more convenient aspects of being an elf.

Suddenly, Legolas caught an evil voice on the air. "Gandalf!" he shouted over the howl of the wind to the wizard, "I hear the voice of the enemy on the wind!"

Gandalf clambered onto hard ground, and attempted to use a counter curse, but the wizardry of the enemy was too powerful. He yelled, "It's Saruman!" to let the rest of the company know who was cursing the mountain. Without warning, snow from above came crashing onto the entire company, covering them over their heads.

Legolas was first to emerge. He gasped for breath and shook away the snow from his face and hair, before clambering out of the mass to help out the others. Gimli, Aragorn, Boromir, and Gandalf emerged, but the Hobbits, being barely tall enough to see over the snow's level at first, required some digging for. Once they were all safe, Aragorn managed to shout to Gandalf over the roaring winds.

"Gandalf, we must turn back!" Aragorn realized that the attempt to go over the mountain was futile.

"No!" Replied the wizard, trying with all his might to keep going forward against the wind.

Boromir voiced the concern of the hobbits, and then suggested that they take the Gap of Rohan then go to Gondor. Legolas perked up a bit at this statement, knowing Fanya was there. He silently prayed that Gandalf would agree... but alas, Gandalf said nothing, but Aragorn refused.

"If we cannot go over the mountain, let us go under it! Let us go through the Mines of Moria." Gimli boldly suggested. Legolas froze, but not because of the cold... he _hated_ being under ground.

Gandalf considered it for a moment, before looking at the Ringbearer. "Let the Ringbearer decide... Frodo?"

Frodo, again, looked shocked that the judgment rested with him. "Let us get off this freezing mountain, and take the route under it. Let us go through the Mines." He stated slowly and unsurely. Gandalf and Legolas sighed, and slowly turned around, leading the company back off the mountain.

"Remind me never to go into a dwarf mine again," Legolas whispered to Aragorn, his discomfort mounting even higher than it had been for the past few hours. They were in the most dark and cavernous cave he had ever seen. The sound of water dripping was everywhere, and it seemed that every turn of the 3-foot pathways brought a creature to attack them. His Elven sight allowed him to see shimmering eyes staring back at him from the gloom, and he _did not _like being here.

"I'm afraid that I feel the same way, mellonamin." Aragorn whispered back. "I feel a sense of impending doom falling upon us like a veil."

"I can feel it too." Legolas replied. They carried on in silence. Gandalf started to tell the company about a Mithril vest that was given to Bilbo by the dwarves, saying that the hobbit didn't know it's worth: greater than the Shire and all that is in it. Legolas tried to listen to Gandaf's words, yet he could not seem to concentrate on anything at that moment. Bad visions kept on creeping into his head… of all things feared.

…A cave troll coming swiftly in his direction; he strung an arrow into his bow, but an arrow straight into its heart did nothing…

Legolas looked up, startled, having heard a low grunt of something. His breathing started to slow down and his heart stopped pounding against his ribcage. He must just be paranoid and uncomfortable in this place; it was probably nothing… yet he was _sure_ he had heard a noise.

He lay his head down again, trying to calm his nerves. Right now, the rest of the company was sleeping, and Gandalf was on watch, smoking his pipe. He dared not speak. The enormous walls were sure to echo the step of a cockroach. The enormous pillars and high ceilings, all carved out of the mountain, loomed high above him... he could not see where it ended.

"Legolas, what troubles you?" Asked the wizard. As if of a miricle, his voice did not echo. Legolas stood up and walked carefully over the motionless bodies of his companions, to where Gandalf was sitting against a pillar. "I sense an insecurity about you." He continued.

"It is this cave, this world. I cannot seem to adjust to it, Gandalf." Legolas answered, head hanging. "I have been receiving visions of a doom soon to come… I am afraid." He admitted, looking up at the wizard.

"We all suffer fear in this hour, yet there is the strand of courage and hope that we all manage to cling to." Gandalf brought his pipe down from his mouth and blew out three butterflies, which fluttered away and faded into the darkness. "The Ringbearer cannot do this alone, he needs all of our courage as well as his own, though, in the end, it will all come down to him. The most we can do is be strong and show no fear."

Legolas nodded, taking in the meaning of his words. "Thank you, Gandalf...I feel slightly more encouraged now." He stood up again, and this time Gandalf followed suit. "We must be leaving." He told him. "We have rested enough, we must depart from this cave by tomorrow." Slowly, they stepped through their seven companions, gently waking and offering them a little food and water. Eventually, their company set off again.

Fanya POV:

"Your skills amaze me, for starting so late in your life." Orophin complimented as they sparred for the third time in a row. Orophin had won both times, but Fanya was a good match for him.

"Thank you, mellonamin, yet as good as you make me sound, I am sure that there is room for improvement." Fanya told him, swerving a strike that he had thrown at her left side.

"With a few good weeks of night training, I'm sure that you would be good enough to be a patrol of the Galadhrim." Orophin told her, attempting another strike above her head. Fanya blocked it.

"Oh, really?" She hissed, bringing their swords down together in a screech of metal. She knew that she could not win this sparring match with her skill, so she decided that she would try her wit.

"Oh, Orophin... look over there, pretty maiden waving at you!" she teased. Orophin rolled his eyes.

"Fanya, there is no maiden right behind me." He pointed out flatly, after turning around. Fanya was a bit too quick for him, and with the sweep of her foot she brought him onto the ground with a dull _thud_. She held out her hand to help him up.

"I win." She grinned.

"Yes, you win..." Orophin said, finally defeated. He allowed himself to be pulled up by the she-elf. The rest of the elves started to chuckle at Orophin's defeat, but they were silenced with a glare.

Fanya had now been in Lothlorien for a month. Every other night, she joined Orophin and the others to spar and train. She loved them all very much, and they were quickly becoming good friends of hers.

The only thing that she wished would go away was Haldir.

Haldir POV

I have been infatuated with her since I first saw her at the edge of Lothlorien. She is so beautiful, with her long golden hair, and her smile borders angelic. I'm beginning to think I love her, for every time I see her, my heart skips a beat, and I start to feel almost... floating.

I know that she doesn't return my affection, for I have confronted her about it, and she merely turns away. Why? Am I doing something wrong? Am I not worthy? Is there another? I hope not.

I, Haldir of Lorien, will make her fall in love with me.

Flashback

Fanya hummed to herself as she walked back from dinner. Orophin wasn't with her, because he had gone to join the others with training. She ambled slowly back to the deserted guest quarters. Someone stepped out from behind a tree.

Fanya jumped and shrieked, the person muttered an apology. "Oh, sorry, Haldir. I didn't see you there..." she mumbled. Haldir joined her, walking alongside her silently. "Why weren't you at supper?" she asked after an awkward silence, when Haldir said nothing. 

"I had other things to do…" Haldir replied mysteriously. He stopped. Fanya turned around, and waited for him to come.

"Haldir?" she asked. Haldir stepped up.

He placed a hand on her cheek. "You are beautiful, arwenamin." He whispered. Fanya looked shocked and tried to step backward. "Yes, you are…" Haldir assured. "I noticed it the first time I saw you…" he took a step closer, to where their chests were almost touching. Haldir leant forward and pressed his lips against hers.

What the in Middle Earth is he _doing_?! Fanya asked herself. She jerked back from his kiss and gave him a good push. He stumbled backward, a look of surprise plastered onto his face. "Haldir, what is wrong with you? What are you doing?" Fanya half-yelled at him. "What might happen if I was belonged to another? What would you say _then_?"

Haldir muttered something along the lines of an apology to her before standing and running away from her. He seemed almost ashamed at what he had done.

End Flashback

She shivered, and cast the thought of Haldir away from her mind. Just a week ago, he had walked up, and kissed her. She had been on her guard ever since, trying to stay away from the March warden; but he always managed to find her, and tonight was one of those nights.

She heard clapping from the other side of the arena, and she turned around to see her favorite elf. She rolled her eyes, and whispered to Orophin. "Please, _please_ tell your brother to back off..." she asked him. Orophin nodded. He still hadn't learned about exactly _who_ she loved, but he respected her privacy nonetheless. Orophin walked over to his eldest brother, preparing himself to let his brother down slowly, wondering what to say.

"Hello, Haldir." He finally said, giving him a gentle hug.

"Vedui,"(Greetings) he replied, his eyes following Fanya on the other side. She was walking over to talk to Cerimon, who started to help her with her archery skills.

"Listen," Orophin bluntly ordered, getting straight to the point. "She _does not_ love you. I see that you love her; it is obvious. But, my brother, she loves another." Orophin stated slowly, trying to make his sibling see sense.

Haldir froze, his eyes wide and what seemed like his entire existence freezing. "Wh- what?" he stuttered, mortified.

"She loves someone else. She has asked me to tell you to stop following her."

Haldir was dazed. "Thank you for informing me. I will leave now..." Haldir muttered, giving his brother a final nod before disappearing into the forsest. Orophin shrugged at Fanya.

Fanya thanked Orophin. "I believe that I will turn in for the day, for I am tired." She told him. She apologized to Cerimon, but he merely bowed.

"I understand, Fanya. Rest well."

"Would you like me to escort you to your quarters?" Orophin asked her. Fanya nodded.

"I'll be back later, mellonaminie!" (my friends) he called over his shoulder. They continued to spar amongst each other.

"You are getting quite good with your sword, and Cerimon is continuing to teach you well with the bow and arrow." Orophin complimented.

"Thank you," Fanya replied. She didn't feel like talking much, she felt that she had really hurt Haldir's feelings and broken his heart... yet, how could he love her, if he had only met her a month ago?

Legolas POV

"Get behind me!" Gandalf yelled. All four hobbits scurried behind the wizard, as he stood ready for a battle. The hobbits' eyes were wide with fear, and they were clutching their daggers tightly.

One shot, two shots... Two deadly arrows soared through a crack in the wooden doors and into the foreheads of two orcs, let loose by the ranger and the elf. Legolas reached back to whip another arrow out, when the hoard of orcs came storming through the broken door, teeth bared angrily. He heard Pippin squeal and hide behind Merry again, holding his little dagger tightly. Legolas shot arrow after arrow at the creatures and heard them hissing with fatal accuracy, but there were too many... He didn't have enough arrows for all of them!

He finally shot his last arrow into the inky heart of the next orc, and he twirled around his twin blades and sliced the heads off of the nearest two attackers. His blades sung as he defeated one after another...

Soon, probably too soon, the flow of orcs coming through the door lessened greatly, and the company was able to regroup. Aragorn and Legolas yanked arrows out of dead orcs, not bothering to see whether they belonged to them, just stuffing them into their quiver. A loud grunt startled the entire company. Every head turned simultaneously in the direction of the noise.

"Protect Frodo!" Aragorn ordered. Merry, Pippin and Sam stood protectively around Frodo, whose dagger was glowing bright blue. Crashing through the door was an enormous cave troll, followed by more orcs.

Legolas took his bow again and started whipping arrow after arrow out of his quiver and shooting them into the cave troll... but it was no use.

The troll paraded around the tomb, whacking orcs around with its brute strength. His jaw hung, and drool was coming out of the corner of its hideous hole of a mouth. Its gray skin was thick, and the arrows did not seem to do anything to hurt it... they only made him madder. Sam was whacking around orcs with his pan... he was doing quite well with it, knocking them unconscious then sticking his dagger into their hearts. The troll found Frodo and he started backing up against the stone wall, the fear welling up in his eyes like tears. He braced himself for a blow, but Aragorn stepped up between them. The troll waved his arm and it collided with Aragorn's stomach, knocking him back and into the wall. He fell to the floor unmoving and unconscious.

The entire company stopped to watch as the cave troll sneered at Frodo, before impaling him with his mighty spear. A grunt from the poor hobbit echoed around the entire tomb, and Frodo sank to the floor...dead. In a blind rage, the entire company started to hew the orcs. Legolas skillfully scaled a pillar, and leapt onto the troll's shoulders. It could not tell where the light elf had come from and it spun around, trying to find him. But Legolas had already strung two arrows into his bow and he fired them through the head with fatal accuracy.

The enormous creature swaggered, and Legolas leapt off of it, before it collapsed to the ground.

Fanya POV

"Fanya! Fanya!" shouted Orophin, who was tearing through the deserted guest quarters in search of his half-elven friend. "Fanya?" he asked to the dim light. It was dawn, and Fanya was nowhere to be seen.

"I'm over here, Orophin!" she called. She was sitting on a rock with her feet in the spring. Light streaks were piercing their way through the trees in the sunrise. It was nearing mid-january, and the sunrises were early and beautiful. She scooted over and patted the place next to her.

Orophin shook his head, and informed her, "Fanya, I'm in a hurry, but I was wondering if you wished to come to the edge of Lorien with the guard to greet a company of travelers. They are expected within the week." He offered a hand to her, and she stood up.

"It sounds fun. Who are they?"

"I do not know who is with them, but there are rumors that come with them." He said. They started to walk over to where Fanya's bag was. "The rumors are that the One Ring comes with them..." he muttered, as if someone would overhear them.

A memory stirred within her... a company, a ring... where had she heard this before?

"I'll come. Although, it is almost as if you are _telling_ me to come with you..." She winked, showing that she was joking around.

"Well, I guess...but do you know how _boring_ it gets out there?" Orophin sighed, rolling his eyes. "You spend all day sitting in _trees _and holding your bow tense every time you hear a sound...But I'm glad you are coming." He thanked her.

"When do we leave?"

"Well...I believe that some of the guards set off earlier today, but I trust that we can come late. I know where we will be stationed. Bring your weapons and comfortable clothes... you'll need them." He informed her. "I'll be back in about an hour. Bye!" he said.

"See you later!" she answered. She walked back to the spring and stripped herself of her nightgown. She immediately shivered, for the morning air was crisp. She stepped into the hot spring and bathed herself.

When she was done, she took a cloth and dried herself off. She squeezed water out of her hair and back into the spring. Once her hair wasn't dripping anymore, she walked to her pack, which she had moved closer to the spring, and put her traveling clothes on. The elves had provided her with cloth and sewing needs, so when she had nothing else to do, she sat with other maidens, chatting and sewing. She had made some friends through this little group of about 10 maidens, all whose jobs were to provide tailors with clothes.

They were amazingly fast and worked with perfection. She would see them start a gown in the morning, and finish it by dusk. They had given her a couple beautiful dresses as presents, and they had helped her make some clothing of her own... she was afraid that she would not have any room in her pack to carry everything! Her new traveling clothes were a navy blue tunic, a plain white shirt, and she had made about the same kind of leggings: brown and coming to about halfway up her calf, where her boots covered the rest of her leg. (think capris...)

She slung her quiver over her shoulder, strapped her sword to her waist, and picked up her new Galadrhim bow. Orophin had given it to her when she had beaten him in an archery match a month ago. She loved the way the smooth wood felt on her palm, and it was strung with a strand of Galadriel's hair. The wood was a light color and it was very strong, and didn't break or wear down.

She realized that Orophin wasn't going to come for a while, so she sat back down and started to plait her hair in the slightly more feminine Mirkwood warrior style. It was a fishbone plait down the back with half of her hair, and braids behind her ears. But she added some braids in the other loose parts of her hair around her head. She quietly waited for Orophin to return.

When he did, he was wearing some slightly more fancy clothing, the clothing he wore when he met her. It was a green, almost gray, tunic, which bore the symbol of Lorien. He had the same style breeches, except a bit darker in color. His cloak was the same color, and it had a delicate leaf brooch holding it together. The cloth seemed to change color depending on how the light hit it, and he almost blended in with the environment behind him.

"Like it?" he asked. "It's what we wear when we are on duty, in case a foe is detected. The fabric will hide you from any enemy. Here," he held out a bundle, which Fanya took and unfolded. "This is for you. It is the same cloak that we wear on duty. And this is the brooch." He handed her the same green-jeweled breech. "It will hide you if anybody unwanted will come."

"But why are you giving me this?" Fanya asked. She was slightly astounded at all of this secrecy.

"Haldir sent word. There are orcs at the border of the city. He does not wish anybody harm... and I wanted to give it to you. I had it specially made for you." He smiled.

"Well, thank you," she said, folding the cloak she had on and putting it beside her bag. She unfolded the beautiful Lorien cloak and fastened it on with the pin. The brooch shined when the light hit it and it was very beautiful.

"You look like a Lorien guard, except with your own clothing!" he laughed. "Grab your bow, and let's go to the patrols. We should stop and pack some _Lembas _as well." He led the way to the flet where an expert cook made all of the meals. Orophin took a few wafers of Lembas bread and wrapped them in leaves, putting them in his own pack. Fanya had left hers with the rest of her clothing.

They both made their way to the guards, talking about Mirkwood again. It was a common subject between the two of them, for Orophin was fascinated with the realm. Fanya promised that she would take him there, and he could stay with her for a while.

Fanya's new cloak was very warm, and though it was a thin fabric it retained heat well. '_Another wonder of Lórien,'_ Fanya thought to herself.

Hours later, as dusk was approaching, Fanya and Orophin reached their posts. They climbed into the trees, where a _talan_ was hidden well with branches and leaves. They found Rúmil waiting for them.

"There you are!" he sighed. "You could have come earlier! Orophin, take your post over there." He pointed to a large branch overseeing the river Nimrodel. "You know the signal if anyone is coming. Fanya, I am assuming that you are here to help as well, so you will be positioned further down the river. When you climb down this tree, you'll see a tree west of this one with a ladder hanging down from it. Just climb up there, pull the ladder up with you, and wait. The signal is a birdcall. If you see anyone or anything, just use the birdcall. High pitch for an ally, low pitch for an enemy." Rmil instructed.

Fanya had never used a birdcall, so Rúmil showed her how, after spreading the word that he was showing her how to use one, so as nobody would panic. Fanya climbed back down the tree and wandered down the river going west. She spotted a rope ladder hanging down from a tree about 100 yards away from the one she had just left and started to climb. There was nobody in this tree, so she sat alone on the branch after folding up the ladder.

She started to sing softly a song of a maiden who would sit on a branch and watch travelers pass by. After that, she sang the song that went with the first one. It was about how the two met again, and danced in the moonlight.

_The wind whispers through the night,_

_I see you standing there, _

_Waiting for me silently,_

_Moonlight weaved in your hair. _

_Again you take me in your embrace,_

_You kiss my rosy cheek, _

_You entwine your nimble fingers in mine,_

_As we walk beside a creek. _

_The sound of the rippling water,_

_Soothes my tightened chest, _

_It runs throughout my being, _

_And slowly comes to rest. _

_The moonlight cracks through the trees, _

_Its shimmering light downcast,_

_Its quiet rays beating on your face, _

_As every night hence past. _

_Silver eyes scan the surroundings, _

_Tis nobody in sight, _

_You wrap your arms around me, _

_And continue to hold me tight._

_I know that there is nothing,_

_To compare to what I feel, _

_To feel as if I'm floating,_

_It's almost ethereal._

_"Come, dance with me tonight,"_

_You whisper into my ear,_

_You kiss my hand and hold it tight, _

_And you bring my body near. _

_Again we dance to music, _

_That exists for us alone, _

_The melody is sweet and slow, _

_For only you and I to know._

_As the sun creeps o're the mountain, _

_You do not let me go,_

_Water continues to fountain, _

_In the river, calm and slow. _

_"My fair night prince, I must depart,"_

_I whispered into his hair, _

_"I will wait for our next meeting,_

_Only well, I hope you fare."_

_He let go of me finally, _

_After a night of tight embrace, _

_He placed a kiss on my lips, _

_His hands caressed my face. _

_"My dear and fair night maiden, _

_I shall not see you soon. _

_For I depart for my homeland,_

_At today's high noon." _

_His eyes were glistening with tears, _

_As he embraced me one last time, _

_He whispered, "I will come back for you,_

_If you wait, you shall be mine." _

She finished her song, and dropped back into silence, as a few elves applauded. She laughed softly, before resuming her watch.

"Gandalf, No!!" Frodo cried; eyes widened in fear. "Gandalf!" he cried once more, he flinched, his side still hurting from the cave troll's puncture. Bilbo's chain mail had proved useful enough to save his life. He attempted to get out of Boromir's grip, but the human was holding him tightly- he was way too strong for the little hobbit. Gandalf was facing off the enormous evil demon Balrog, and was charming the bridge, so the creature could not pass.

The Balrog charged blindly forward, and the bridge crumbled. It seemed to be gone for good, but the demon's fiery whip caught the wizard's ankle. Gandalf was forced to the ground and was dragged to the edge of the rapidly collapsing bridge.

"Fly, you fool!" Was all he could manage before he let go... Frodo attempted another charge out of the mortal's arms, but he was unable to. Boromir dragged him out of the cave; the hobbit was kicking and flailing around like a child, trying to get to his lost friend.

The 8 companions broke into the sunshine, and they blinked into the light. Legolas cast his eyes around, looking for a good rock to collapse onto. The entire company was crying... Merry and Pippin were holding onto each other, Boromir had his head in his hands and was weeping; Sam was sitting in quite the same position as Boromir... Frodo wasn't making a sound; his tears were falling down his cheeks, where they would drip off his chin, or pool at the edges of his mouth. Legolas did not cry, but he was feeling the pain inside of him bursting, and he did not know what to do with it, so he started to sing a mournful tune to the company. Aragorn was wiping away tears, though he was a brave man. He called for Frodo to come back to the company, because he had started to wander off…where to? Nobody knew.

"Boromir, get them up." Aragorn ordered. He was taking command of the group, because he was the only one who knew of Gandalf's plans past Moria. "Get up, Sam." He pulled the hobbit up and comforted him with a soft clap on the shoulder.

Legolas stood up, having finished his tune, and he walked to Aragorn. Dirt and grime covered the body of the mortal, and there were streaks of slightly clean skin where the tears had leaked down. The entire company looked like that, actually. He looked for directions from the new company leader. "We depart for Lorien." He stated, looking east into the valley, where Lórien resided. Something arose within Legolas, something happy...as if there was someone there that he wanted to see... but no. Nobody he knew was in Lórien right now, he told himself.

The company slowly made their way down the hills and into the heart of the dale. They came to a river: the river Nimrodel.

"Follow me!" Legolas cried happily as he approached the river. "The water is said to relieve the weary." And indeed, as soon as his feet touched the water, all of his fatigue left him, and he continued onto the other side. He proceeded to sing the Song of Nimrodel, and his voice carried over the company and calmed them.

"That is a beautiful song, Legolas." Frodo complimented.

"There is much more, but I cannot remember it. It is very long and sad, and it speaks of how sorrow fell upon Lothlórien when the dwarves unlocked the evil in the mountain."

"Yes, but they did not _make_ the evil, elf." Gimli haughtily corrected Legolas.

"I did not say that, but the evil came." Legolas sadly said.

The company rested and the Hobbits nearly collapsed. Legolas felt quite guilty telling them to get up, for they had to continue. He felt at home in the trees, much more so than in the cavernous Moria. He felt his spirit lifting, even though the sorrow of Gandalf still dragged his heart down.

He was about to climb into the trees, when a commanding voice shouted, '_Tampa!'_ He froze, and obeyed.

Fanya kept one eye open as she leant back up against the tree trunk. She had been there for two days, and it was getting more boring by the minute. Orophin had given her a wafer of _lembas_ bread the day before, but other than that, nobody said anything, save for a couple outbursts of songs every once and a while from different elves, and nobody moved, save the rustle of someone shifting position.

A new voice broke into song just as Fanya started to doze. It was a very heavenly voice and it just made her want to fall asleep. She let the elf sing, and gradually her mind started to work... she knew that voice. She sat up straight and peered down to where a company of eight people: two humans, four hobbits, a dwarf, and an elf resided...

She knew that elf.

"Legolas," she murmured. Her heart leapt and started to soar. A smile graced her lips, and she let out a high-pitched birdcall. She did not move, but a restlessness was stirring up inside of her...how she wanted to jump out of that tree and wrap her arms around him...

The company was about to start off... she was sure that she would lose her chance to surprise the elf. She lightly and silently climbed down the tree, and pulled an arrow out of her quiver and notched it into her bowstring...

She leapt onto the ground and pulled the string taught, holding the arrow an inch away from between the elf's eyes.

"Tampa!" she ordered the rest of the company. She let down the bow and replaced the arrow into her quiver. The entire group was shocked out of speech and she smirked as three elves appeared behind her.

The whole time, Legolas was staring directly into her eyes, and finally finding his voice he croaked, "Fanya?"

A/N: evil cackle Yep. Me and those cliffhangers! I shall retain you no longer from your beautiful review responses now!! (I got fifteen this time!!)

Harmony99: Oh, it's great to see you reviewing!! I'm glad that you still like the story!! Thanks for the review!

Loveroflegolas: I know what's eating Haldir!! jumps around being authoress... and now you know! I hope I made his little crush semi-realistic... =D Well, thanks for the review! (and I'm an Oro-fan too!! =D )

Elvenpirate: Sure I can have Orlando Bloom! He's in the shower right now! Watches as steam drifts out of the bathroom and into the rest of house. Thanks for the review and the compliment!

Shivvers: You rock the E.M.'s mellon nin!! Thanks a bunchles for betaing this time! (you may be assigned another chapter soon!!! =D) C U in the Mists!!

Elizabeth: Oh wow! I loved your review! Thanks for noticing that I have gotten better...its slightly scary to think that I've gotten a lot more advanced in writing since last August!! Your review brightened my day, thankies!! (I may just have to send you an email too... ponders) Thanks again!!

Will Turners-little-stalker: I got 10! I even got fifteen! Woo! passes cookie to Orli Thanks for the review!! (I like your penname, btw!!)

Idget2301: I agree with you totally. high fives. Go you. You rock. You're totally on my good list now!! Thanks for the review, and I think that all people need to think like us for the world to go 'round!! high fives again

Riako: Thanks for the note! Sorry I didn't do the tournament the way you asked, but I found I'm not that good with battle scenes (much better with romance!), so I chucked that idea and went for the whole flashback deal! Well, hope you liked it!! Thanks for the review!

Merlinsmagic: Glad that you found this one to read! Hope you enjoyed it!!

Scorchio: thanks for the FIVE reviews! I hope that you have read more, because I liked all the reviews! grins Thanks again!!

A/N: And those are all...I may have to raise the bar for this chappy, just because I can! I demand... hmm...13 reviews sounds nice! Although 21 would be fun, because that would break the 200's! Woo! (I've got 180 reviews...cheers).

Random bit of the day: Never let people pluck your eyebrows for you! shivers.

I'll leave you to push the button and write a pretty comment for my email inbox, because if you don't leave a comment, then Orli will be locked in the shower forever, and he'll get all pruny!! So save Orli! Review!!!! ReVieW!!!! rEvIEw!!!

Super thankies to: Shivvers and Ardonelle (well, 'Drunk on Diet Coca-Cola', I believe she is now) =D I'm working on the next chapter, you guys!!

The Hobbit Ivy

May 24, 2004, 5:08 PM


	25. Into the Woods

**A/N: My loyal readers, I am EXTREMELY sorry that I didn't update this sooner! My last update was at the end of May, and seeing as this is October 2nd, I feel that it's nothing but my own fault. **

**Orli: You bet it is...**

**Me: You're not helping. I'm trying to tell the people that I've been suffering from a mean bout of writers block, and you're still as cynical as usual! **

**Orli: Well, of course! **

**Me: Okay... You're being taped up this time... I don't care! Tapes Orli up and hides him in attic **

**Well, I don't have anything else to say, except my disclaimer:**

**Disclaimer: I own Fanya. I own the tree. And I own a bunch of other stuff. The rest goes to Tolkie! I love Tolkie!! **

**_Chapter 23: Into the Woods_**

"Fanya?" Legolas asked, slightly dumbfounded. His world was spinning; He didn't know whether he was dreaming or not... whether Fanya was standing in front of him or not.

As if she felt the same way, she smiled and placed her arm on his. The warmth of her touch brought him back to his senses. "Yes, it is me," she answered. He smiled at her _'...oh how I want to kiss her...' _He thought. She smiled back. He felt his heart go from jumping to soaring. That simple gesture of affection sent his senses wild...

"The Lady of the Wood wishes to speak with you all. But you will stay here for the night." Haldir gestured up to the _talan_ up the tree next to him.

"I'm not sleeping in any tree!" said Pippin grumpily.

"Then dig a hole in the ground, Pippin, for it would be much safer! Orcs patrol these borders, you know." Legolas replied, a bit more sharply than he had intended. Pippin's face paled slightly and he hurriedly followed his friends up the ladder. Aragorn and Boromir followed the halflings, and the dwarf after them, (only after he sent a suspicious glance towards the rest of the elves around him). Legolas went last, throwing a glance back at the Half Elven beauty, who gladly sent one back.

Fanya stayed behind with Orophin as Legolas and Rúmil ascended the ladder as well.

"Good choice." Orophin said with a subtle smile, as he observed Fanya follow Legolas's back up the rope ladder.

"What?" Fanya asked. Legolas started talking with Rúmil once he got up the ladder and onto the stable platform. She tried to hear what he was saying.

"Good choice." Orophin repeated.

"On...?" she asked, he gaze descending onto her friend and she raised an eyebrow.

"The prince. A good choice." He said again, slightly more slowly this time, flickering his eyes towards Legolas.

"Oh..." Fanya blushed. "Thanks..." she muttered. "But how do you know?"

"I can see that he makes you quiet, shy, and that the blush on your cheeks does not seem to go away." Orophin ticked off everything on his fingers. "Oh, and because you're still trying to watch him without my noticing." He added. Fanya chuckled.

"That obvious, huh?" she mused.

"Yes, _mellon nín_. _That_ obvious." Orophin smiled. "Now, I will not refrain you from your watching him any longer." He gestured up the ladder. She grinned and, in a few seconds, she managed to ascend the rope ladder. She collected herself and made her way reluctantly to a branch. She was still on patrol, right? She had to fulfill what she had come for. She sighed to herself and kept an eye on the ground. Although, she found if she turned slightly, she was able to see _both_ Legolas and the riverbank. For a while, she sat still and daydreamed, (mostly about a certain blonde elf), until a glint caught her eye. It looked like an eye, catching the light of the moon. In an instant, she had her bow out, ready to fire. She wasn't the only one, either. Every patrol elf in the vicinity had bows tensed in the same direction, below her.

Finally, Haldir gave the word that nothing was there. He had gone down there to check. He was a bit unsettled though, as was everybody else. It was like a fever; one person got it, then another, and soon the entire village would be sick...except that it was fear and uncertainty, instead of an illness that was spreading right now.

Pippin whispered to another hobbit. "Eh, Merry, what d'you think tha' was?"

"I dunno, Pip." Merry whispered back.

"None of us do." Legolas spoke. His voice was a song...Fanya was now convinced of it. "It looked like a goblin, but it was much too quiet and small to be one."

"I agree." Boromir spoke up. "Much too small..."

Most of the elves and the two humans nodded to themselves. Fanya started to stand up to leave her post, when a hand stopped her. She looked up hopefully and saw... Orophin. Her face dropped back to a neutral stage. She had been hoping that it would be Legolas. Orophin immediately saw the look in her eyes.

"Ah, ah, ah! Elves on guard _stay_ on guard. Until notified, at least." Orophin taunted. "I don't think you'll be popular if you leave your post!"

"Well then why aren't you at your own post?" Fanya asked grudgingly, glaring at the nearest branch.

"Because Haldir told me to come and check on you." Orophin winked, sitting down. "And anyway, I thought you looked lonely." He nudged her with his shoulder. She did the same to him, smiling.

"Well thank you, Orophin." She said. She leaned past her friend to get a look at the eight companions. They were lying down. A glance at the moon between the trees told her that it was well into the night – probably past midnight. Orophin stayed next to her for about an hour, before leaving to talk to his brother; leaving Fanya alone, again, to watch for any threats to this divine environment.

Legolas could not keep his eyes off of a single spot. Aragorn came and joined him, following his friend's gaze.

"Is that she?" he whispered. The rest of the camp was asleep already.

Legolas said nothing, but he nodded. "I do not understand why she distances herself." He muttered, more to himself than to Aragorn.

"She is unsure of how to feel, I believe." Aragorn counseled his friend. Suddenly, Legolas saw her eyes flicker to his, and they locked gazes. He felt his stomach lurch and his heartbeat quicken. A split second later, she had averted her eyes again. Well, one moment of happiness made up for all those moments before...

"I thought that she would be more excited to see you." Aragorn said after a couple minutes of silence.

"As did I." Legolas replied. He kept on staring at her back, trying to will it to turn round.

"You should go to her." Aragorn gave his friend a little push on his back.

"I want to, but I dare not. I do not want to be rejected." He answered, looking at his friend.

"You won't be." The human answered. But Legolas did not bend to his will. He stayed still, continually and openly gazing at the beautiful half elf. Yet soon, exhaustion from the journey took over him, and he unfocused his eyes. His world spun as he found he was transported to the barren fields. There was no large boulder nearby; he must be in another part of this world. Fanya was not there, either.

Hours of wandering into this dreamworld passed. Every once and a while, a feather-tipped blade of tall yellow grass would brush against his leg as he wandered. He finally heard an angelic voice behind him. Fanya was there! A smile graced her lips. Legolas turned to face her. He started to walk towards her... but he couldn't! Some unknown force was stopping him from approaching her! What was it?

'_So close, and yet so far...'_ he thought sadly and desperately. Fanya seemed to be going through the same exact thing. She seemed to not be able to come within five feet of Legolas.

They tried to get nearer to each other, to call out to one another... but they could not hear a thing but their own desperate voices. The sky above them was rapidly churning reds and oranges...both were desperate to get to one another... but all was futile. Tears leaked down Fanya's cheeks, gracefully falling onto her dress and then the ground. All of Legolas ached...ached to be next to her.

But it mattered not, for he had awakened from his elven sleep.

"I will take you to the Lady Galadriel. There she will council you." Haldir said. "But I cannot allow the dwarf to go." He added.

"He must come, he is part of our Fellowship." Aragorn argued pointedly.

"Elves have not had dealings with the dwarves since the dark days of old. But if he must go, then he will be blindfolded."

"I will not! I have as much a right to see those trees as you do!" Gimli grumbled haughtily.

"I cannot allow you to pass into our realm with sight." Haldir persisted venomously.

"Peace!" Aragorn interrupted. "If one of our company is to go blind, then we all shall."

Legolas became very sad. "I was hoping to lay my eyes upon this beautiful realm." He said with a note of despair in his voice.

"You shall, just not right now." Fanya said, popping up behind him holding a cloth.

"Fanya..." Legolas whispered. All around him, guard elves were tying blindfolds onto the company. He was glad that Fanya had gotten to him first.

As Fanya tied the cloth around Legolas, she whispered, "I've missed you, _Princy boy_." She said sweetly yet teasingly into his ear. She tied the not and smoothed down his hair. He felt her fingertips graze his cheek and the lobe of his ear. He couldn't decide whether this was an intentional or accidental gesture. She rested her hands on each of his shoulders and guided him. He relished the feeling of her touch, and all remnants of the nightmare of the previous night ebbed away from his memory. "I won't let go of you..." she assured in a quiet murmur.

Of course, Legolas, as an elf, did not need someone to guide him through the paths. Although, any chance for him to rely on Fanya was a chance he would not miss.

Why was I so bold as to assure him of such things? I still wasn't positive of my love for him...But why wasn't I positive? Hadn't I already established my conclusion? That I _did_ love him? Last night, I had a nightmare... I was in a field and Legolas was there. Except, I couldn't get to him. It felt as if my soul had been ripped in two, and someone was dancing on its pieces... it was awful. I can't bear the thought of it. It's been the first dream that I've been able to remember in weeks.

So I held onto Legolas, and he let me guide him. All of the eight companions had a guard right next to them, but none of them were actually being guided like I was guiding the elf. Orophin caught my eye and he raised his eyebrows at me. I sent a glare in his direction and he smirked at me.

Later on in the day, as we made camp for the night, I stayed near Legolas. All the time, I wondered about what I was doing. I hated my doubt! Why couldn't I just accept that I...

"Fanya," came the voice of Legolas from my left. His hand found mine, as if it were magnetically attracted to it. "Take me into the woods. I would like to speak with you alone." He murmured. I complied quietly by standing up and excusing Legolas and myself from camp for a few minutes. I returned to Legolas and took his hand again. I walked a ways into the dense wood, warning him of branches and plants. Soon, the campfire was just a small glimmer in the distance.

Legolas reached back behind his head to undo his blindfold, and I thought momentarily whether I should let him. He untied the blindfold and brought it down. Seeing his crystal blue eyes made me forget about my indecision. He smiled and said to me,

"Thank you."

"For what?" I asked. Why was he thanking me?

"For trusting me and leading me here." He murmured. "And for guiding me with your gentle touch." He added in a whisper. He picked up one of my hands with both of his own and massaged each finger. He brought my hand up to his lips and kissed each knuckle. Every time his lips came in contact with my skin, fire seemed to erupt from the spot, and quiet shivers were sent up my spine. He stopped. I opened my eyes. My eyes were closed? I hadn't even realized it! Legolas and I were bathed in strips of moonlight that strained themselves through the forest canopy.

"Do you wish me to stop?" Legolas whispered. _'Stop?! No! Don't stop!'_ I said nothing, and Legolas misinterpreted it as a yes. He stepped back slightly and looked like he was sorry.

Something that my Father told me floated back to me from the back of my memory. I remember, I asked Ada why he fell in love with Atara...

"Father... How is it that you loved Atara?" she asked one day over breakfast. Birds chirped outside and the sun streamed through the windows.

He set down his goblet of wine and stared at his daughter thoughtfully. "Fanya, if there is anything that you must know about love, it is that once love has caught you, you do crazy things. You do not know what drives you. Something that you wouldn't normally do becomes a routine in your daily life. Always remember this. I loved your mother with all my heart, and she loved me. This was all I needed to know when I made love with her." He concluded. Fanya thought this over for a long time.

_A crazy thing.... yes_. Fanya stepped forward until their noses were an inch away; there bodies barely touched, and their eyes were locked.

"I don't wish you to stop." She whispered. She bypassed his lips, leaned forward, and (working on impulse) she kissed the lobe of his ear gently.

It was established in a rulebook of love long ago, that when two beings of the opposite sex came this close, a deep, passionate kiss would immediately follow. In this case, this was the perfect situation. My lips were centimeters away from hers. She and I stood that way for quite a while, until she whispered, "I don't wish you to stop..." (Which I didn't want to, but I did) and she kissed my earlobe. That was enough for me to return the favor, instead aiming a bit higher. I softly kissed the tip of her ear, barely touching that sensitive area. It was enough for her body to go limp and knees to buckle. She fell into my embrace, where I held her there forever. She finally found the strength to pull back slightly and to look deeply into my eyes. I could tell that the contact had sent her heart racing, because her breath was still quick and short. Everything stood still. I waited. She waited. Finally, she stood on her does and planted a feather kiss on my cheek.

"Before we go back, I just wanted to say that I-" Fanya paused mid-sentence. "I'm sorry. Yet somehow I also feel like I've said this to you before."

"And I have forgiven you." I whispered back to her. "No explanation is necessary for now." I continued. "All will be said in time." I told her what my father used to say to me.

"Thank you." Fanya said. She then whispered, "We have to go back now. I'm sure that they will have missed us by now."

She tied the fold around my head, and again I was lost in a sea of darkness. I waited for her to take my hand and lead me back, but she never did. She was right in front of me; I could sense she was there. I blindly found her hand, and her other, then I glided my hands up her arms then back down her back. I placed my hands at the base of her back and pulled her into me. I held her close and I could tell that she was apprehensive.

"Shh." I murmured, even though there was no noise but the sound of crickets and the rustling of trees. "I won't let go of you." I whispered what she had promised me earlier. With that assurance, I gently planted a kiss on her lips.

He kissed my lips. And again... and again. He didn't seem to stop, and each kiss was getting slightly more intense and longer.

Not that I was complaining...

He paused for a second. When he did not kiss me again, I stood on my toes and kissed him lightly. That was enough for him to hit me with a passionate kiss. A kiss that blew my mind. A kiss that I had seen countless couples share... I didn't want it to stop. When it did, I felt myself blush, even though Legolas could not see. I took his hand and said, "Orophin has definitely missed us by now..."

"I'm sure of it," Legolas replied. "Although, didn't you tell him that you were taking me somewhere?"

"Yes, but I only said for a couple minutes... I'm sure that much more time has elapsed by now." I said. "Legolas?" I said, after another minute of silence.

"Yes?"

"Can we not mention this to anyone yet? I'm not sure that I wish everyone to know now..." I said. Even to me it sounded quite a stupid thing. Yet for some reason, I wished our relationship not to be known to anyone... almost as if Legolas were mine, and I childishly didn't want to share him with anyone.

"Of course." Legolas replied. He would do anything to please her, even though he was slightly disappointed not to disclose their starting relationship, as young as it was.

Fanya took her place behind him, and led him back to camp. The fire in the distance was growing closer and closer, and soon- much too soon- they reached it. She steered Legolas to where Aragorn was, (He was talking with Boromir) and left to sit next to Orophin and Rúmil. Orophin shooed Rúmil off to talk to Haldir and leant in to whisper to Fanya.

"What did you _do_?" he hissed. In the firelight, Fanya blushed.

"Nothing... I did nothing... Legolas just wished for a bit of air away from camp..." she said, trying to mask guilt.

"A bit of air away from camp... and a kiss or two, from what I can gather." Orophin added casually, his face forming into a smile.

Fanya blushed a deeper red. "What are you talking about?" she tried to defend herself, failing miserably.

"Do you think I'd let you go alone out into the forest?" Orophin raised an eyebrow.

"Well... yes, I'd expect you to stay here. That would be the reasonable thing to do!"

"Well... do you notice that when you're distracted that you don't notice things like you would normally?" he asked. "Well, I had a pretty nice view of you and the Prince over there." He jerked his thumb over to the forest. Fanya hung her head.

"_And_, I saw that you took his blindfold off..." Orophin grinned.

Fanya thought back to her moment of indecision. "_He_ took it off himself... _I_ didn't take it off." She defended herself.

Orophin gave her a little nudge on her shoulder. "All the same... I may have to report you to Haldir..." he threatened lightly, almost teasing her. Fanya knew that this would happen when he found out. She hung her head again and admitted defeat, although she pleaded,

"Orophin, please don't tell anyone yet. I really don't wish anybody to know now."

"And how would you feel if you were in my position?" he said in a lightly mortified voice. "To know that your own brother has wished to court your best friend, then finally find out that your best friend is in love with a _prince_!" he said. "Who wouldn't wish to know such information?" he asked.

"_Orophin!! Please!!_" she took his hands and said very seriously.

"All right! _All right!_ Your secret is safe with me." He said, placing a hand over his heart.

Fanya sighed. "_Thank you..._" she whispered. Then she went to where her bedroll was laid out, on the outskirts of the camp. She lay down and thought about what she had experienced less than an hour ago, and smiled, settling down and closing her eyes.

In her dreams, she felt whole again. And in the morning, as the sun rose and the dew started to fade away, she smiled at knowing a new day was to begin, bringing new challenges and new love.

**A/N: I know... Short, but not really! (3014 words, to be exact!) Well, I have NOTHING to say, except that I LOVE my two betas, Shivvers and Lady Ardonelle, because they're awesome and have put a lot of effort into editing this for me! **

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**_The Hobbit Ivy_ (10/2/04, 4:42pm)**


	26. Absences

A/N: It's been FOREVER since I updated, I'll admit. All I have to say is after the chapter, so here is the disclaimer:

Disclaimer: I. Own. Nothing. Not. Legolas. Not. Lothlórien. Not. Anything. That. You. Would. Recognize. I. Own. Fanya. That's. All.

NK24: Absences

The dawn came, and Orophin and Fanya walked amongst the nine walkers rousing them. Fanya had time to dwell on what had happened last night during her watch. When she came to Legolas, (Orophin, she thought, had purposely passed him by), she knelt down beside him and whispered, '_The sun rises, and so must you, _'before squeezing his hand and moving over to the four hobbits, who were all snoring contently. Legolas grinned to himself as her breath tickled his ear and stood up, stretching and listening to the sounds of the birdsongs and the rushing river.

Nothing of significance happened during the morning, and the time passed quickly. For once, the company wasn't moving with haste. The eight foreigners were silent, but the Galadhrim (Mainly Rúmil, Orophin and Fanya) talked merrily amongst them. Haldir was leading the group. Aragorn was behind him, being lead by an elf Fanya did not know. Boromir was being lead behind Aragorn by Orophin. Legolas came next, still being watched by Fanya, and behind him was one of the Hobbits, lead by Rúmil. Gimli the Dwarf was last behind the other three young hobbits.

They stopped every few hours or so, for the poor hobbits were still weary from the journeys previous. Finally as the sun was going down Haldir stopped them, for a group of elves had arrived with a message. Their report was of the orcs that had followed them. Most were slain, but a few retreated back into the mountains.

"My Lord, I also bring a message from the Lord and the Lady." The young messenger said. "The company you escort is not to walk sightless." Haldir nodded his consent. The messenger boy jumped back on his horse and rode away, followed by the eight or so that had come with him.

Haldir turned back to the company, and approached the dwarf. "Your pardon! Look on us now with friendly eyes. Look and be glad, for you are the first dwarf to behold the trees of the Naith of Lórien since Durin's Day!" he said, untying the dwarf's blindfold and letting him see the woods.

"Look upon the woods again, Legolas," Fanya whispered to Legolas as she untied the knot behind Legolas' head. He, like the other companions beheld the beauty of Lorien. There was a large mound, covered with grass and trees. At the feet of the two circles of trees, the grass was dotted with golden flowers. High up amid the branches was a white flet, gleaming in the setting sun.

"Behold Cerin Amroth!" Haldir said. "This is the heart of our ancient realm, just as it was many years ago."

Everybody sat on the grass, talking amongst themselves, but Frodo stood apart from them all. He stared in wonder at all that was around him. To him, he was lost in another world; a world unlike everywhere else he had been. He felt the same timeless air that Fanya had felt when she had first beheld the magnificent realm, and couldn't pry his eyes away from its beauty. There was no sickness or deformity in anything that grew from Lórien's soil, for on the land of Lórien, there would be no stain. Sam was next to him now, saying something to the small hobbit. Fanya heard nothing that was said between them, but Haldir came to join them after a moment. He led them away from the camp, presumably to show them another part of the wood.

Fanya was leaning on a tree, watching what was happening around her, as well as watching the sun sink behind the valley. She felt someone take her hand from her side and turned to find Legolas. He smiled, as she saw him.

"Would you come with me? We will watch the sunset, and I wish to speak with you," he said.

"Yes," she answered, letting him guide their way from the camp. In a tree, a half-mile or so from camp, Legolas and Fanya sat. The sun was now sinking rapidly in the sky.

"What is it you wish to speak with me about?" she asked. The sun was now almost gone, and they had been silent for a while now.

"I wish to know why." He said. Fanya looked down to the ground. "Why did you leave me a few months ago? I said I would go with you to Gondor."

Fanya was silent for a minute while she considered her answer. "I had a dream. In my dream, you were talking with somebody named Larien, and you...you kissed her..."

"Did I?" Legolas laughed. "I must inform you otherwise. Fanya, I know that Elven dreams show us what may occur in future times, I'm sure that you know this already." He said. Fanya nodded. He kissed her cheek gently. "But if I kissed Larien, who is my longtime friend who I haven't seen in _centuries_," he stressed the last word, "It would be out of friendship, not of love." He concluded. Fanya sighed. She had been stupid to think that Legolas would do that. Why had she left?

"I was stupid... I thought that you were in love with another..." she said quietly.

"You were not stupid," he said, running a thumb gently down her jaw, "You came to the wrong conclusion."

"And I acted too fast... I should have trusted you," she said. Adding silently to herself, '_I need to learn to trust others, but I first need to trust myself..._'

O

"What are they singing?" I heard Pippin whisper to Merry.

"I dunno, Pip... but it doesn't sound happy." Merry whispered back.

"They are grieving." I said to them, startling them. I didn't need to say anything about who we were grieving for... for it explained itself.

"Oh..." Pippin muttered. "Well... what are they saying about Gandalf?" he asked innocently.

"For me the grief is still too near... Now is not the time for explanations." I answered solemnly. Pippin and Merry nodded, and then they both fell into silence.

Fanya was nowhere to be seen at the present moment. When we had gotten into the city, we were counseled by Galadriel, and sent to a large field area, where guests stayed. Elves had brought clean clothes and food for us, and we had eaten and drank. Now, each member of the Fellowship dwelt in their own thoughts. Gimli was asleep.

I had waited for the rest of the Fellowship to clean up, because I wanted to spend some time alone while cleansing my body of the filth that caked it from Moria and from the travels before. I took my new silver outfit, and approached the path that lead to the hot spring.

I heard a voice singing from in the spring, and I knew who it was. Fanya was there.

I padded silently over toward the spring, and slipped my clothing off. Fanya was oblivious of me as she sang. She was sitting on the edge of the spring on one of the rocks, her blonde hair dripping with water. I drew near to her, and joined in her song.

O

His voice melted with mine, and we both sang of the death of Gandalf, and of his wonderful life here in Arda.

It was then, that I realized exactly _who_ I was singing with.

I quickly looked behind me and blushed at the sight of Legolas in naught but his skin. He smiled, and advanced, until he was right behind me. He gathered my hair to the side, and without a word, and without stopping his beautiful song, he started rubbing my back. He knelt down, and massaged my shoulders, making me forget everything around me.

Somehow, we both ended up in the water. Legolas had finished his work on my back, and was now rubbing the mud off of his skin. We were silent; no longer singing. There was only the sound of the rippling water as we moved. The moon's rays shone a friendly light, coming through the canopy in the trees in little sects to hit the water and illuminate the spring in a very ethereal fashion. Boldly, I waded through the waist-deep water, and began to silently return Legolas' favor to me, by washing the grime of his travel away off of his back. I slid my fingers up and down his bare back, and rubbed away his past.

O

Fanya was nervous, I could tell, but she was doing a very good job of hiding it. When she started to rub my back, I couldn't hold my silence any more. I turned around and took both of her hands.

Kissing every finger of hers, I whispered '_Be with me tonight_,' before I kissed her. Softly first, but with every repercussion, we deepened our kiss. She pressed herself against me, and after we broke apart, my whole body throbbed.

'_I cannot._' She whispered back. There was more sadness in her eyes than her voice revealed. '_I-'_

'_Why not?'_ I asked softly. She didn't answer. I knew she had no answer but her own pride. '_Let me show you how I feel... Whether you feel wholly the same matters not. Just be mine tonight.'_

Fanya was shocked, and she didn't know what to say at all. In her intimate moment, she had forgotten who she was... _where_ she was. _'I cannot... not now'_ she said to Legolas. And with a single movement, she started to wade out of the water. She gathered up her clothes, and wrapped her towel around her, walking out of the spring area and into the moonlit world.

Legolas sank under the water, drowning himself until his lungs begged for air. '_I scared her off... I shouldn't have even mentioned it...'_ he thought morosely. '_Why must I be so persistent?'_ He followed Fanya's path out of the spring, but paused to dry himself off and put his new clothes on.

He did not see Fanya for many days.

O

Fanya went in search of Orophin when she left that enchanted area. She found him in his _talan_, reading a book with a goblet of wine in his left hand. Fanya knocked on the doorframe, and entered when Orophin looked up and smiled. He motioned for her to sit.

"Sit, please." He said with a smile. "And tell me why you come to visit me in the dead of night."

"This is of the utmost secrecy," Fanya said, blushing deeply. "Please, tell no one." She begged. Orophin nodded.

"I was _going_ totell everyone, but since you asked so nicely, I will not." He replied.

Fanya proceeded then to tell Orophin about her short and sweet encounter with the Prince. Orophin raised his eyebrows when she told him that Legolas had invited her to bed him.

"And you refused?" Orophin assumed, when Fanya did not continue, "Because you are obviously not with him now. You told him you could not."

"Do you enjoy spying on people all the time?" Fanya mumbled.

"I wasn't eavesdropping on your romantic bath, for your information. I know you well enough to assume what you would do in a situation... and in this particular situation, you left quickly to seek help from a friend." He said in an uncharacteristically wise voice.

"And what do you suggest I do?" Fanya asked, trying to hide that she was _extremely_ interested in his answer.

"I suggest that you spend time thinking about what he means to you, what would happen after you were with him? What would happen if you did not? You obviously are in love, for denying it so many times has plainly assured you of that fact... and when are you going to tell him?" Orophin left it at that.

"...I don't know..." Fanya answered slowly. '_I should have told him...'_ she thought.

"Do not stress over it... please. It is not healthy for such a young elf as you are," Orophin comforted after a minute of silence, during which Fanya chastised herself unnecessarily. "Here, drink this wine... and then decide what you are going to do." He offered her a goblet of wine he had just poured out for her. She took it and took a sip, feeling the warm substance slip smoothly past her mouth.

"Thank you..." Fanya said, taking another sip of the delicious wine.

O

As Legolas dried himself off, he reprimanded himself. He knew he shouldn't have asked her such a thing... she was so young. She didn't understand the passionate feelings of the elves as well as most elves do. Legolas had just acted in response to the moment...

He did not return to the camp that night... seeking sweet solitude, he silently made his way to a place far off, away from the Fellowship.

O

Not knowing where Legolas was the next day was quite disappointing for Fanya. She wanted to apologize for acting so last night, and to tell him all of her thoughts. She _did_ want to join with him... but maybe not this soon. Delving into a relationship was completely new for her. True, she'd had a childhood crush once when she was nine... it had not worked out too well.

Following her feet, she somehow found herself back at Orophin's talan. Orophin was not home. She went to the clearing, where she practiced archery alone. When that became dull to her, the sun was setting and she made her way to the visitor's area. Curling up in a ball, she shut out the rest of the world and wished that her yearning for Legolas would subside.

O

Aragorn understood elves well and how well they hid their feelings from others when they wished to. Snores and a gentle light surrounded him. Only Lothlórien has such a light, he thought. It was late and he was tired, but there was one member of the Fellowship who was not there whom Aragorn desired to speak with. He was not with Fanya, for she was on the other side of the clearing pretending to sleep. With his trained ears, he had heard her crying earlier. Why?

Legolas did not return that night. He did not return the next night, either. Where was he? All of the Fellowship, save Aragorn, had not seen Lothlórien, so they were constantly enthralled by its beauty. They did not _really_ notice the Elf's absence as much as Aragorn did. Fanya felt it the most. The feeling of wishing to talk with him was eating away at her, and she was quickly losing patience. To find something to do, she talked with Aragorn.

In the dead of night, Legolas returned. He only needed to look at Fanya to sense something was wrong.

"You've hurt her again, _mellon nin_," Aragorn said gently from behind him. Legolas had been distracted and had not noticed the human's presence. "She told me what went on the other night... I do not blame for your actions, I only blame you for your absence," Aragorn said calmly.

"I was wrong to suggest such a thing, I did not know what she would say," Legolas said. "I wish to speak with her," he made his way over to her sleeping form but Aragorn stopped him.

"Do not wake her. She is dreaming" Aragorn said. Legolas sighed but closed the distance between himself and Fanya, lying down and encircling her waist with his arm. He did not care who saw. He did not care what would happen when she awoke. He lay there with his eyes closed for hours until sleep took him and peace came to him.

O

When Fanya awoke, she felt his arm wound around her waist and she sighed in bliss. How often had she wished she would wake like this? Legolas stirred. Wordlessly he lifted her up, his eyes saying all that she needed to hear. Carrying her like a baby, he left the clearing and out of sight of anyone. He laid her down on the soft, springy winter grass and kissed her deeply.

"I knew you would come back to me," Fanya said when Legolas lay down beside her. "All along..." She not only meant during the previous time elapsed, but during her travels to Gondor and to Lothlórien. It was a thought that had surfaced rarely but had been there all along.

"Know I will always return, Meleth nín," Legolas consoled. His eyes were bright with his passionate love for her and she saw it clearly as a bell would sound.

O

A/N: Okay. It's been forever since I updated. But here I have a few things to say:

1) Thank you for everybody who has reviewed **(Shivvers, Harmony727, Crecy, RyuJouyou,WordNerd, and Padfoot76: Iam sorry, but I wont have specific responses to your reviewshere, but Ibelieve I did send you emails when I recieved reviews. You all rock).** But it appears to me that **61** people get my updates, and **5** people reviewed my last chapter. 5. That is sad.

2) Depending on what YOU say in your reviews, this may or may not be my last chapter. I have been busy writing an original fiction story that takes up most of my time, and I will only finish this story if you all want me to finish it.

3) Review, _please_ and tell me whether you would like this story to continue, or any of the other stories to continue. I am going to keep this story up either way, because to me it is a way to see how much I have grown in my writing since I began this a year and a half ago.

4) To Shivvers and Ardonelle in particular, I am dearly sorry I did not send this to either of you, but I haven't the time to send it to you, and I have not updated this story in forever. It's my own fault for taking too long.

Please, please, _please_ do not ignore this.

-The Hobbit Ivy-

2/12/05


	27. Home Again

A/N: Yay! An actual update! Thanks for all the support that you've given me! I thought I was lost... but nope! I was indeed still in my study chair, just waiting for your reviews. Well, here's the chapter!

DISCLAIMER: Stuff is mine. Stuff isn't mine... you do the discernment as to which is which.

NK25: Home Again

All too soon it was time for the Fellowship to depart Lórien. Elves, including Orophin and Rúmil, were stocking sleek elvish boats with goods and particularly a lot of _lembas_ bread. The night before departure Legolas and Fanya were cuddling at the foot of a tree, when Legolas addressed the subject of his departure.

"Fanya, I do not want you to come," was his conclusion to a rather long list of reasons.

"No! I want to come!"

"I cannot allow myself to put you into such danger. I love you too much for that!"

Fanya sat up and looked directly into his eyes. "I can fight! I would be a help, not a hindrance!"

"I know you can fight," Legolas punctuated this, "but there are more dangers than just the orcs. There are Urúk-hai, more fierce than orcs. They will take you away from me, rape you, and then kill you if you are captured. I could not bear to have that happen to you. It would be the end!" Legolas argued.

"But how could you leave me behind?" Fanya exclaimed. "After telling me that you would never have me leave your sight again?"

It was true that Legolas had said this. "But Meleth nín, it is not only to another country I travel with this Fellowship, it is into danger and into battle. This world has yet to see a war. There is no safe place, Fanya. Nowhere is safe," he said.

"So you will have me stay, _alone_, without you in Lórien?" she asked hotly.

"No, you are not staying here," Legolas said. "You will go to Mirkwood to deliver my father a message."

"Am I your messenger now?" she snapped, fervently.

"You were for your father, and you are for me. I am the _Prince_ and you will do as I say!" Legolas exploded.

"Now you bring your _title_ into it? How cowardly is _that!_ You surely know better that that will not work on me! I thought we were supposed to be partners! And now you treat me as your servant!"

"Enlighten me, Fanya. What will work on you?" Legolas countered. Fanya, finding nothing to say to that stood up and stalked off. Both of their faces were flushed. With nowhere else to go, Fanya stormed to Orophin's talan and threw herself inside. Rúmil and Orophin were cooking what looked like a late supper.

"Fanya? What's wrong?" Orophin asked, putting down a spoon.

Still in a towering rage Fanya near shouted, "That blasted _elf_ of a Prince is what's wrong!"

Rúmil hurried over to the doorframe to bring Fanya inside and calm her down. He tried to sit her down on the couch but was unsuccessful. "Fanya, calm yourself... what about Legolas is irritating now?"

"That _elf_ won't allow me to leave with the Fellowship in the morning! I want to go!" she huffed.

"Fanya, be sensible!" Orophin said, now rushing over to her and forcing her to sit down. "There is too much danger out there! Especially now!"

"Too much danger for a she-elf to be able to face, obviously," Fanya sulked, sinking back into the couch.

"It is for your own good, mellon nín," Rúmil comforted.

"But I want to be out of here! The fellowship is no longer a nine, I would be no intrusion!" Fanya said. "Legolas also said that he was going to have me deliver a message to the King for him..." and she then she muttered, "That haughty Prince brought up his title... _why_?" she asked herself.

"It is with all nobles, Fanya. They sense they are losing a battle and they bring what really is not important in. Haldir does it all the time," Orophin said. Fanya sighed and closed her eyes for a long time.

"But why does it have to be the one I love that tells me so?" she asked nobody in particular.

"Nobody can answer that, now, can they?" Rúmil said. "Only you can."

oOo

Fanya was nowhere to be seen the next morning, and Legolas knew why. She was angry with him, and although he did not like her absence, he accepted it. Rúmil and Orophin were there, standing next to Haldir, though, so he approached them with a scroll tied with strips of his shirt that he had left home wearing. His father would understand the ancient symbolism: that he was alive and faring well; or as well as could be expected.

"Can you... will you..." Legolas stumbled over the words to use.

Orophin took the scroll from him with an understanding smile. "I will," he assured. Legolas embraced him, and Rúmil, and then turned to rejoin the group. After receiving gifts from Galadriel, the fellowship settled themselves in the boats and set off down the river.

Hidden in a tree, Fanya watched them go, feeling as if she were being ripped in two. Legolas glanced back, and she swore that they locked eyes once, but then he turned around, his head bowed in disappointment.

'_He didn't see me..._' she thought sadly. '_He didn't even say goodbye.'_ But that was her fault. _She_ had been the one in a towering mood last night. She climbed higher in the tree and settled herself against the trunk, thinking and wondering and trying to ignore the fact that Legolas had left her.

"You're so much more moody when you're not around that elf. You should stick with him... you'd be doing the rest of the world a favor!" said Orophin while sitting down on the same branch as Fanya.

"How do you always manage to find me?" she asked, not meeting his glance but staring up through the trees.

"You aren't very subtle about your comings and goings," he shrugged. "Anyway, official message from His Royal Highness, for the _other, _more _supreme _Royal Highness," Orophin handed her the scroll. She took it, studying the outside of it.

"I'll leave with it tomorrow," she said, her voice suddenly determined. Orophin looked flabbergasted.

"I told you that you had more mood swings when you're not around that blasted Elf. Why this one?" he asked.

"My lover has given me a task. It's a task I don't really want to fulfill, but something to do all the same," she said. "Besides, I have spent much time away from home. It is time I return." She brought her eyes up to meet his. Orophin understood.

"We'll ready your things," he agreed.

oOo

Morion, it turned out, had gotten sick. Fanya pined at the fact that she didn't have her favorite horse with her anymore. In the most recent weeks, Fanya had forgotten about her horse, spending so much time with Legolas instead. Morion was old and tired; her natural gusto still there, but most of it gone with age. Fanya left her in the hands of Rúmil and Orophin, trusting them to take care of her horse until she passed. Orophin had offered her his horse in return.

The horse Fanya now rode was a beautiful young chestnut male, called Erebel. Fanya did not push Erebel, stopping at night and letting the horse rest when it was tired. She did not want to tire her new horse. Erebel had already become quite attached to Fanya, but he was not wholly reliable. It had a fiery spirit and disobeyed every so often. And when Fanya would get mad, it almost seemed as if he was laughing at her irritation.

The whole journey did not last long, only a couple of days, but the whole time, Fanya was thinking about what the message said. Of course, reading it would be a complete invasion of privacy, and however much she _wanted _to cross that line she resisted.

When she came to the entrance of Mirkwood, she was let through by wary guards after showing them the scroll she carried.

"First order of business," she told herself quietly, "Is to see Father." She traveled the same route to her fathers _talan_, riding the well-known path without thought. When she arrived, she looked up and saw that her father's house had not changed. She tied up Erebel, (she was not about to lose her new horse), and climbed up the rope ladder. The door was open to let a breeze roam through the house, and she crept through the familiar house to find her father. She heard him working in the kitchen and found him kneading bread dough. His hands were floury, and he had flour all over his face.

"Fanya?" he said once he glanced up. She rushed forward to give him a tight hug.

"Hello Ada," she said fondly, kissing his cheek.

"You're finally back! You've been gone so long! Why didn't you come back? Where did you go? What did you do? What's _that_?" he said, looking at the formal scroll she had not put back into her bag after showing it to the guards.

"It's a message for Thranduil," she said offhandedly.

"_King_ Thranduil? But how?" Her father had abandoned the bread and sat down at the kitchen table.

"Legolas gave it to me to deliver it to him, seeing as I was leaving anyway." She purposefully left out the fact that she and Legolas were lovers, as it was still an unstable relationship at the time.

"_Legolas_! Wow..." her father muttered. "Tell me all about your trip. Tell me what delayed you for so long!" he said excitedly. And so Fanya told him everything from being molested by the drunkard in the pub until Morion getting sick and having to stay in Lothlórien.

"...And Legolas pulled me aside a few nights ago and asked me to take this message to his father," she said, "Morion is old and sick, so Orophin let me have his horse," she concluded.

"I'm sorry to hear about Morion. I know how you loved that horse," her father said somberly. "Come and help me fix dinner, and I will tell you about what has happened here," he said. Fanya helped him cook and they ate together, talking of news and of what Linque had been up to in the past months.

Utterly exhausted, Fanya rode to her _talan_ in the dead of night, climbed sleepily up the ladder, and tumbled into her bed, glad for warm blanket and a bed after so long.

oOo

The next morning, Fanya unpacked her bag and went to the market to buy supplies for her pantry, which was currently hosting many spider homes. She came back with a basket full of jams, bread, and a bit of meat for that evening. She shook out her traveling bag out on her bed, and to her surprise something fell out of one of the pockets. _A ring_. A beautiful ring, broad and embossed with many intricate patterns. It looked oddly familiar...

She almost dropped it when she realized who she'd seen that ring on. _Legolas_. He had dropped his ring in her bag, accidentally or on purpose, and had left without it. Had he left it on purpose so it would not be damaged? Or had he left it for _her_ to find... She slipped it on a chain and hung it around her neck. She tucked it into her dress and set off to the palace, bearing the scroll in her hand and riding Erebel.

"Hold it, maiden," a guard chuckled at the gate when she got there. "Why should we let you in?" he challenged her. She held up the scroll.

"I am delivering a message to the king," she said determinately.

"Just like the other guy who tried to kill King Thranduil by saying he had a message for him?" the guard replied cheekily. "I'm afraid I can't let you in without proof of who you are."

"I am Fanya Helyan, of Mirkwood. My father is Linque. One of my best friends is Lenwe, who I believe trains some of your guards here," she replied staring the guard down.

"That won't do," he said. "Physical proof."

She was about to turn around and actually started to think about getting physical proof, when she felt the ring hanging from her chain.

"How does this help?" she asked, thoroughly disliking the guard. She thrust the chain with Legolas' ring on his finger into the guard's face, who recognized it immediately.

"I cannot question anyone who bears that ring," he said, lowering his face to stare at the ground. "You may pass."

'_Why do I always encounter the annoying guards?_' she asked herself as she dismounted from her horse and entered the massive courtyard.

oOo

Fanya had to stop many passing elves in the hallways to ask where to find the King. Anyone who challenged her, she showed the ring to. She learned quickly that nobody would question the one who bore the ring.

Eventually, she did find it. She knocked three times on the door. The guard-elf on the left seemed to be asleep and the guard-elf on the right was staring at her.

"Enter," a booming voice called. She entered.

Thranduil looked like Legolas so much that she almost thought that it was him behind the desk; the same high cheekbones, the same platinum hair, the same eye shape and color. She bowed as she entered, and walked quickly across the room, a sort of library and study combination, and bowed again as she handed him the scroll.

"A message from your son, Your Majesty," she muttered. Thranduil's eyes lightened.

"And who are you?" he asked.

"Fanya Helyan, Your Majesty," she replied.

"How do you know my son?" he questioned.

"We traveled together for a time, My Lord. He requested that I come back to my homeland and deliver this to you."

"And why did you agree to take it?" Thranduil asked. This caught her. Why _had _she agreed to take it? She loved him... but Thranduil probably shouldn't know that now...

"I do it as a favor. He saved my life from a giant spider on our travels," she remembered it. This answer seemed to satisfy the king.

"Very well. Thank you for your favor. You are dismissed," the King said. Fanya bowed again and exited. She found her way outside, mounted Erebel, and went home, where she cooked herself a dinner and settled herself down in a chair with a good book.

oOo

The next day was uneventful for her. Unless you counted the fact that around noon somebody came knocking at her door. She opened it, expecting to see her father or an old friend, but was very surprised to see two members of the Royal guard.

"Good afternoon," she said kindly, her eyes wide. She hadn't done anything... what _was_ in that letter?

"Good afternoon to you too, m'lady," one inclined his head to her. "The Elvenking requests your presence at the palace as soon as you can be ready."

"Me? Why?" she asked, flabbergasted.

"I'm under orders, ma'am. I do not know anything besides what I am told to do."

"I'm ready now, I guess," she said. She followed them down the ladder and mounted her own horse, closely following their twin white horses. They led her the whole way, nobody speaking a word. Villagers stared at them as they passed, many women putting their heads together to whisper to another.

She soon found herself back in that dark study, sitting, facing the Elvenking, who waited for the guards to disappear, dismissing anyone else in the room as well. Fanya was very nervous, and thoughts wouldn't stop racing through her head.

Thranduil smiled.

This was the _last_ thing she expected him to do.

"I expect you have no idea why you are here," Thranduil said casually, sounding much more informal and relaxed than yesterday. Fanya shook her head. "You are here because of your letter you delivered yesterday. You did not read its contents?" he asked. Fanya shook her head again. "Well I have read them. And I will read them to you now:

_Father, _

_I am as well as I could be right now. I have joined a quest to destroy Sauron's ring of Power. We left from Rivendell about three moons ago. We traveled through Moria; I did not like that. It was too dark in there. I do not recommend it to you. When we entered Lothlórien after Gandalf the Gray fell into shadow, I came across my dear friend Fanya. _

_Fanya is my messenger. You may wonder why I chose her over someone like Haldir. She was traveling to Gondor and I to Rivendell for the Council that Elrond took. I agreed to escort her there, and we got as far as the forest about 20 miles north when she took off without me. So I turned around and traveled to Rivendell. From then on we traveled as I mentioned above. As I said before, I reunited with Fanya and spent many hours with her. She has helped me realize things about myself that nobody else could have done. _

_I have fallen in love with her. _

_Please welcome her into our family as I intend to marry her when I get back. I have not told her, but when I _know_ you will read this to her, please say these words for me. _

_Fanya, I love you with all my heart, although I cannot show you now. And I know that this is a very unconventional way to propose, but I wish to let you know of my intentions, in case I die. Our fight ripped me apart tonight. I will rely on the hope that you love me still and that you agree to my proposal. The ring I dropped in your bag is my physical promise. Wear it and think of me always. _

_I love you, _

_(And I love you too, Father)_

_-Legolas_

Fanya gasped. A marriage proposal? She was glad that she had not cracked and read it herself, otherwise she would have gone galloping in the other direction and smacked him silly... but now that she learned it here... what was her answer?

"My son has always had a way of knowing when to do the right thing," he said conversationally. "You look so shocked right now that I'm sure you hadn't even considered wedding my son. Maybe he knows what to do. Heavens, he's waited long enough," Thranduil chuckled. "So tell me about yourself."

oOo

A/N: First, thanks to all you who reviewed! I can't remember, but you know who you are! I'll do review responses in the next chapter (which is halfway done, by the way!) Second, thanks to Shivvers. Without you this chapter isn't complete... start thinking of days that we can meet up again, girl! Third, thank you to my beautiful laptop for not deleting this file, like it did the last chapter of CAAE. :)

The Hobbit Ivy 5/29/05 4:06PM


	28. Reformations

**A/N: OH MY GOSH? IS THIS AN ACTUAL UPDATE!**

**Orli: AND AM I ACTUALLY BACK TO COMMENT ON THESE THINGS!**

**Me: And Orlando's back... sigh due to popular demand. If reviews were people, I would have a bunch of reviews protesting outside my door with signs and pitchforks because Orli disappeared fora few chapters. ;)**

**Orli: Haha. Because they all hate you. **

**Me: THEY DO NOT. _duct-tapes Orli_ I'm already sick of you again... Anyway, notes on the chapter is at the bottom... **

**Disclaimer: I'VE STOLEN THE WORLD! runs away BWAH HA HA HA HA!**

_**NK 26: Reformations**_

"Fanya!"

"Up here, Lenwe!" Fanya called, stirring the stew she was brewing for her next few meals.

"I've heard rumors," Lenwe started saying as he greeted Fanya with a backbreaking hug, "that you are engaged to a certain royal someone," he quirked an eyebrow.

"Maybe..." she said, blushing. Fanya had only been back for a week and already the news that they were going to have a new princess had leaked out. After talking with Thranduil almost daily, she had decided that even if she and Legolas fought every hour of every day, having Thranduil for a stepfather would be worth any torture. He was such a kind ruler when you broke through the tough façade. Thranduil was sending out a messenger to inquire of the Fellowship's whereabouts with a message for Legolas telling him of her acceptance and that if Legolas didn't come back to marry her that Thranduil would be forced to disown him and take Fanya as a daughter anyway.

" 'Maybe'. What does that mean?" Lenwe smirked.

"It means 'yes'," she answered finally, smiling. These days Fanya almost never stopped smiling, especially because every time she moved, the chain and Legolas' ring would bounce against her chest reminding her of her promise.

"So tell me," Lenwe said casually, testing her stew with the ladle and nodding his approval, "Is this Legolas worthy of such a wonderful half-elf such as yourself?" Fanya nodded. "Is this Prince going to pamper you like you should be pampered?" Fanya nodded again. "And is he a good kisser?" Fanya gasped indignantly and slapped his arm.

"Lenwe!" she protested.

"Well is he? Because if he isn't, he isn't worthy of you," Lenwe continued as if nothing had happened.

"Yes, he is, if you really want to know," Fanya said, turning in the other direction so he couldn't see her blush.

"So you spent months away from Mirkwood delivering a message. It can't have taken that long to talk to Denethor. Where else did you go? Did Legolas go with you? Did you sleep with him?"

This time Fanya really slapped him. Hard.

Lenwe smirked and helped himself to a sip of the stew.

oOo

The letter reached Legolas in Rohan. The messenger arrived back in Mirkwood as Fanya was having one of her long talks with Thranduil, this time about flowers.

"Milord," the elf bowed to Thranduil, "Milady," he bowed again to Fanya. "I encountered your son along with Estel the Ranger, and a dwarf. I gave him the message, and he was overjoyed. He asked me to accompany them to Meduseld in order that he could write a return message to you and his betrothed. I did go with them, and I brought you these," he handed each of them a scroll, "And he also said for me to give you this," he bent down and pecked Fanya on the cheek. She beamed at him and thanked him. He left the room after he finished speaking, informing Thranduil about conditions of Mirkwood and what dwelt within it outside of the palace borders.

Both Thranduil and Fanya opened their messages, then the immediately had to switch, because the boy had given them the wrong ones. When each had the right message, Fanya read her own.

_Fanya, my love,_

_The plains of Rohan are visible out my window, and beyond that the mountains... beyond that, who knows. The grass all over the plains is dead with the scorching heat from the sun. I am glad that I am inside right now. _

_I am overjoyed that you accepted my proposal... actually, I'm thrilled inside and out. So thoroughly happy, that I actually kissed Estel. On the cheek! I swear! Will you start working on preparations for our wedding with Father? I know you can't ever know when I will return... but do start thinking about it. I can't stop thinking about you, I hope you're cursed the same. _

_I guess you're wondering why I want to marry you. Well first, I think I knew the first time I saw you that you would be difficult to work with, and so many maidens are too easy; they just surrender. You're a challenge for me, and I love it. Second: no maiden has ever left me without sleep for days on end like you have. I'm sure that means something. Third... I love you. That's what's important, is it not?_

_Be nice to Thranduil, he can be like a fly on the tip of your sword that won't come off sometimes. _

_Until I see you again, remember how I loved you in the forest,_

_-Legolas_

"Apparently I'm difficult," Fanya said with a chuckle as she folded up the letter.

"Well, you are," Thranduil agreed. Fanya kicked him under the table.

oOo

Days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months. About a month after Fanya's return to Mirkwood, Thranduil invited Fanya to live in the palace.

Lenwe dropped by while she was packing, and started to help her.

"I can't believe that you're leaving us behind to live in the Palace!" Lenwe pretended to be indignant.

"Lenwe, _you_ live in the Palace," Fanya reminded him.

"Well... that isn't important. So where in the palace are you going to live, anyway?" he asked. He opened up her closet and started collecting dresses to fold.

"In the Royal wing," she said dismissively. She had argued with Thranduil that she didn't need such an honor. Thranduil assured her that she would be living in it soon enough, and moving rooms would be much easier this way after she was married to Legolas.

"The _Royal_ wing! But that's on all the way the other side of the Palace! I know you're abandoning me now," Lenwe said.

"I'm not abandoning you!" Fanya cried exasperatedly. "I'll be living in the same buildings as you now!"

"Yes you are!" Lenwe pretended to cry. He stopped. "Is there another bag I can use to pack? These ones are full already."

"Yes, over there on the table."

"Oh, thanks," Lenwe paused, grabbed another bag, and then started to wail again.

Fanya rolled her eyes and buttoned up another bag full of her books, and lobbed a lightweight binding at Lenwe's back. As soon as he looked up in mock shock, she laughed,

"Serves you right!"

oOo

"Fanya, this room is _twice the size_ of mine!" Lenwe said, his jaw dropping.

"And three times the size of my Talan..." Fanya added, equally blown away.

"Well, you'll be living in it for a while," Thranduil said, laughing at the face on his combat trainer. "It all depends on when that stuck-up, hero son of mine decides to come home," he added lightly.

"Thank you, Thranduil," she said, walking across it and examining the design on the bed.

"It is my pleasure," Thranduil beamed. "Shall I call for some servants to collect the rest of the bags from your house?" he asked.

"Yes, that would be lovely," Fanya said, hardly hearing what he was saying. She had just opened a door. Before her was _another_ bedroom. Thranduil left to find a couple servants.

"What's in there, Fanya?" Lenwe asked. He came to peer over her shoulder. "Ooh... It's someone else's room..." he commented, walking in.

"_Lenwe!_" Fanya hissed. "We shouldn't be going in there if it's someone else's room!"

"It doesn't look as if anyone has lived her for a while..." he said, running a finger over a desk and showing it to her. It was covered in a thin layer of dust.

"I wonder who lives in here..." he said, walking around and opening things. Fanya joined him reluctantly, but she was very curious to find out.

It was Fanya who discovered. She opened the drawer to the person's desk and peered at a few things. She drew out a letter on top of a neat stack in a drawer. It was addressed to...

"Legolas!"

"Dear, I know you're in love, but my name is _Lenwe_, not Legolas," Lenwe pointed out.

"No, no. This is _Legolas' room,_" she explained. Lenwe's face broke out in a grin.

"Legolas's room! Ooh... let's continue snooping!" Lenwe cackled. Fanya replaced the letter and shut the drawer. She walked over to Lenwe and grabbed his shirt sleeve, dragging him back into her room and shutting the door.

"He's a clever one, that Thranduil," Lenwe chuckled as he straightened his shirt.

"Why?" Fanya asked.

"He's probably kept this room open for _centuries_. Waiting for a young elf maiden like you to come and occupy it to tempt his son," Lenwe continued. Fanya blushed.

Elves started coming in through the door and depositing bags and boxes. After they were through, Fanya and Lenwe thanked them and the left. Fanya crashed on the bed, and Lenwe sat on the desk in the corner. Fanya was exhausted, and all she wanted to do was sleep.

With closed eyes, Fanya said to Lenwe, "You don't have to stay, you can go and do something else if you'd like."

"It's alright, I'll stay," Lenwe declined.

"Alright..." Fanya yawned. She fell asleep within minutes. Lenwe watched her sleep for a while. He didn't feel like going back to his room and to his duties. He stood up and opened a bag he knew contained clothing. He opened the wardrobe and found some empty hangers and started hanging her dresses for her. He shelved books and he put things in drawers. Soon there was only a handful of stuff he didn't know what to do with, so he left without a word. He hoped she would be able to find everything...

oOo

The Elves of the forest were growing restless with the feeling of impending danger. Too often skirmishes would occur, calling soldiers to one side of the wood, and then the other side. They quickly became more frequent, and with their frequency mounting, so did the number of the dead mount.

Too soon, an all-out war broke out.

Thranduil called Fanya into his chambers the first morning. "Fanya, somebody needs to lead the people into battle," Thranduil said as he put on Elven armor. It was a golden metal inlaid with designs and verses from Elven lore of great heroes.

"Send your warriors, but do not go yourself, Thranduil!" Fanya begged, realizing that he meant to fight too, instead of simply commanding. Thranduil shook his head. He sheathed his weapons. Fanya was already in half a mind that she would go grab Nessme'a and steal some armor from the armory. Thranduil, almost sensing her thoughts, gripped Fanya's shoulders and looked her straight in the eye.

"Fanya, if there is anything I do not want it is you out there fighting, too. They need someone to govern the Palace. I leave you in charge. Do what you have to and if you are unsure of a decision send an errand soldier to me," he said. "I trust you, Fanya. Think of this as your first chance to rule Mirkwood. Legolas has done it before, I'm sure you can fulfill the duty." He kissed her cheek and gave her a brief hug. With that speech, he rushed out with his commanders at his side.

'_He wants _me_ to run his country?'_ Fanya thought after he left. '_I don't think I can run a country! ...and anyway, Legolas has been raised to rule... I haven't!' _But there was nothing to be done about it. Thranduil trusted her. So she tried.

Battles raged for days on end. Fanya was constantly busy with issues mainly concerning healing. There were about four dozen maidens who were healers in the palace. Many large rooms were converted into hospitals within the palace, including a few caves way below ground level. Everybody listened to Fanya's orders, if she ever issued them, though many elves did it with wariness; never with the prompt "Yes" that Thranduil received, Fanya noticed. She wished to confide in Lenwe, but as he was commander of his own hand of Elves, his time was spent fighting.

Mirkwood suffered much. There were great fires that destroyed entire villages. Fanya's old talan had been burnt down, same with her Father's. Fanya had given him a guest room in the Palace until his talan could be rebuilt. He did not want to live in a palace, he constantly reminded Fanya, and so he would not make himself comfortable in a permanent room. "Or maybe I should go West..." he had suggested one afternoon, drinking tea with his weary daughter.

"Not yet, Adar. You can't leave until I'm married... and even then, who will baby-sit my children when Legolas and I want time alone?" Linque answered her comment lightly enough, but his mind did not stray from the West for long. He knew his time was almost up.

But Linque and Fanya were not the only ones at loss. There were at least two hundred elves that were now homeless to find homes for.

Fanya felt like she almost understood the stress a ruler goes through. So many people with so many problems... Fanya wished that she could have more time to herself nowadays.

"How do you do it, Thranduil?" she asked the floor, sitting down and massaging her head.

"A little bit of patience and a lot of wine," came her answer.

"Thranduil!" Fanya exclaimed happily, jumping to her feet and hugging the king. "You're alive! I'm so glad you're here! I swear, I've done all I can! There are so many houses burnt down, and then so many wounded, and I don't know what to do. I need help," she finished, sinking back into the chair.

"From what I've heard, you've been quite the stand-in ruler, Fanya," Thranduil said, sitting down next to her. "You've organized healing elves and you've even found a few foster homes for the homeless. That's a lot for a week and a half," he said.

"Do not worry. I'm back now. The fighting is over," Thranduil assured.

"Oh," Fanya sighed. She wanted to sleep until next year. She felt as if she hadn't slept for more than two hours.

"Now. Go sleep," Thranduil said, once again seeming to read her thoughts. "You will have to remember to rest more, when you rule this forest. Even Kings and Queens need sleep, my dear. And that includes Princesses-to-be. Off with you, then!" he said kindly. Fanya hugged him tightly, thanked him again, and slowly made her way to her bedroom.

oOo

Five months passed slowly. Most of it included building repairs and rebuilding talans. Many elves moved in with other families. Some even left for the Havens, feeling like their time on Arda was spent, and this was their proof. Thranduil and Celeborn met, divided Mirkwood into three, renamed it _Eryn Lasgalen_, and went their own ways. Thranduil's kingdom was to the north of the mountains, Celeborn received the southern portion, calling it East Lórien. The middle section belonged to Men of the forest.

Peace was finally restored to the world. Fanya learned from Thranduil that around the same time as Mirkwood was attacked the One Ring was destroyed! For four months straight Fanya prayed that Legolas would return. She busied herself with little things like gardening or helping Thranduil reorganize his study, (it really was a mess). Every night she would dream of his glorious return, imagining how he would look or what he would say to her... but the more she thought of it, the more it became a mystery to her. _He_ was a mystery to her.

Fanya sighed, and spoke her thoughts aloud to the rosebush she was tending to one afteroon. "If only he would return and all would be well..." she pressed her nose against the rose, inhaling its sweet scent. The rose bush quivered in the wind. Fanya knelt beside it, speaking to it as she watered the bush. "Can you believe that this time last year I hated the Prince? So much has happened since then..." she paused, staring at the petals of the rose in front of her. "But you can't know anything about love. You repel anyone who tries to love you with your thorns."

oOo

"Wedding plans, wedding plans, wedding plans..." Fanya muttered to herself, walking through the familiar halls to Thranduil's study. "Another day sure to be full of wedding plans..."

"Good morning, Fanya!" Thranduil greeted cheerfully, kissing her cheek. "And what a lovely morning it is!" he practically sang. He opened a window and let the crisp morning air into the room.

"What has put you in such a good mood?" Fanya asked. She was in quite a sour mood, having slept badly and knowing that another day of wedding planning was ahead of her. She loved the fact that she was to be married; she hated the fact that she had to _plan_ the marriage.

"I have no idea," Thranduil winked. "Something of how the birds sing every morning, probably," he shrugged, sitting behind his desk and pulling out a stack of papers that looked all-too familiar. Fanya sighed, resigning herself to hours of tedium, and pulled up her chair to the desk.

"Today, we ignore the paperwork and we get to fit your dress," Thranduil said.

"Finally! Something that I enjoy!" Fanya leapt out of her chair, her own spirits rising a great deal.

"Let's go, then," Thranduil smiled. This was the first _real _sign of life Fanya had shown in many days. He felt sorry for her to have to do this without Legolas. It must be tough on her.

oOo

"You are so thin!" Exclaimed Bellana, the palace's head dressmaker. She had an eastern accent, probably from Rivendell, Fanya noted.

"Probably due to Thranduil locking me away in his study for so long every day," Fanya said, glaring at Thranduil, who laughed.

"Blame my son. He's the one who initiated it all," Thranduil said.

"He's too far away to blame. Anyway, this is all your fault, _Ow!_ Because... _ow_! These pins are killing me! Bellana, are these necessary?" Fanya asked, turning her conversation to Bellana, who was sticking pins into the dress every two inches or so. Some of them were sticking Fanya.

"Yes," Bellana smiled. "They're absolutely necessary," she winked at Thranduil from behind Fanya and continued to pin the dress.

"Come back in two days and it'll be finished to wait for that Prince to return," Bellana announced. Fanya slipped the dress off and slipped on her dress again, leaving with Thranduil to walk the corridors.

"That dress is old," Fanya commented when Thranduil asked her about it. "And it's been worn before. By whom? Do you know?"

"It was my mother's dress," Thranduil said. "She wore it to her wedding, and then my wife, Rienna, wore it when we were wed... it is only right that you wear it now," he stopped talking, deep in thought, probably thinking of how his own wife looked wearing it. Fanya was already diving into her own thoughts... _'Legolas' Grandmother's dress? It's probably at least 6000 years old...' _That's ancient... especially to Fanya, who was only 72 years old. Thranduil started talking again, but Fanya was only half listening.

"...don't worry, you don't have to worry about anything else today, Fanya. Go and have some fun, _away_ from my study," Thranduil winked.

"As much fun as your study is..." Fanya muttered. "Thank you Thranduil," Fanya hugged him tightly and then went in search of Lenwe... she wanted to train with him for a while, to take her mind off of things.

oOo

In the dead of night, Legolas dismounted his horse and crept into the Palace, unseen. He took several little-known passages that he knew and made his way to the Royal hallway. He opened the door to his chambers. The door adjacent to his room was open. This puzzled him. He walked through the door and gasped softly. There on the bed slept Fanya. He silently thanked his father and walked over to her bed. He took off his boots and slipped into the bed, to sleep next to Fanya. He planted a kiss on her cheek and she moved. Her hand found his in her sleep and gripped it tightly. He settled down beside her and fell asleep, content to be beside his love.

oOo

**A/N: Eh? Whaddaya think? Corny ending, I know, but I can't keep Legs and Fans away from each other! I swear... they keep meeting up behind my back and going to parties. Without me! _scoffs_ **

**Orli: Well it's not my fault. It's Fanya. She's the one to initiate all the parties. **

**Me: Didn't we agree that you _weren't _the same thing as Legolas in Chapter 8? **

**Orli: Oh shut up.**

**Okay... some notes:**

**1) THIS STORY IS DONE. _FINISHED. _**

**_(Haha I had you worried, didn't I?)_**

**This story has three more chapters to go, AS WELL AS an epilogue! So everybody get in your reviews so MAYBE I can break 250 reviews! Maybe? ...Please? **

**2) Chapters will only arrive as fast as my beta (THE MOST AWESOME GIRL IN THE WORLD... SHIVVERS!) can crank them out. She has all of the chapters in her inbox and will someday edit them when she has time and then will send them back. :)**

**3) I'm really sorry, but I can't remember all who has reviewed, and it's too late for me to figure it out! Believe me, you will be recognized in the end! And I promise holds up hand to swear that I will do review responses next chapter. Although I've been doing my best to email you whenever you review to thank you, so I do hope that's enough for some of you. **

**Now... I turn you loose to CLICK THE PURPLY-BLUE BUTTON AS SOON AS YOU POSSIBLY CAN... it's a race, right? Be the first to review the chapter... ready? 1... 2... 3...**

**_NOW!_**

**-Ivy, 9/28/05 11.12pm-**

**_P.S. Don't know if ya'll noticed, but this story officially passed the TWO-YEAR mark since I published it on August 27, 2003. See how long I've been doing this for you? I love you guys too much... :D_**


	29. Sweet Dreams

**A/N: Okay. I give up! I've asked 2 people to edit this for me since last september, and nobody has sent it back to me... so I've decided to torture you no longer. Welcome to chapter 27!**

**And Orli is currently unavailable at the moment because it is raining outside and he is currently dancing in it. More on that later...**

**Disclaimer: I'm sick of stealing Tolkien's characters for my personal uses in this story, so I'm giving them back for today. :) Fanya, however, is MINE!

* * *

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_**Chapter 27 : Sweet Dreams**_

'_I'm dreaming again...'_ Fanya thought blissfully. _'And what a good dream this is. My Legolas has returned to me.'_ She reached to wrap her arm around her Dream-Legolas, who felt so real to her, and kissed him deeply. What a happy dream this is, to have Legolas return to her. A bird sung outside of her room, the pleasant song filtering through the open balcony doors. This wasn't the first time she had dreamed this dream of his return.

No words passed between her and her Dream-Legolas, only sweet kisses. Somebody knocked at the door.

"Fanya? Are you up yet? It's getting late. I thought you were going to come help me organize the study this morning." It was Thranduil. Fanya ignored him, lost in her loving. The door opened. Fanya felt her cheeks tinge pink as Thranduil spotted her and Legolas on the bed.

Hold on... this was going a bit far for a dream. Fanya subtly pinched her leg. It hurt...

This wasn't a dream! Legolas really was here! And Thranduil really barged in on them kissing passionately on the bed. _Her_ bed. Oh Valar...

She rolled off of Legolas and sat up in her bed. "Good morning, Thranduil," she said, straightening her hair with a few fingers, feeling very self conscious.

"Legolas?" Thranduil asked. Apparently he thought that Legolas wasn't real, either. Legolas stood up and walked to his father, embracing him tightly.

"I am home, Father," he said quietly. He looked back at Fanya, so incredibly happy that she had no hard feelings about their last partingin Lothlorien. He noticed she had his ring on a chain around her neck. That made his happiness surge.

Legolas knew what was in store for him, though. His father would require a fully detailed retelling of the Quest to destroy The Ring of Power, and then he would question him for hours on end. Thranduil was babbling already talking about preparations for a feast in honor of his return.

"Father, I know you want to know everything about my adventures _right now_," Legolas interrupted. Thranduil's face stated the obvious 'yes', "but that can wait for later. I would like to speak with Fanya, first."

"That _girl_ over your own Father?" Thranduil scoffed. Then he burst out laughing at the look on Legolas' face. Thranduil was obviously back to normal after his initial shock. "Of course, Son! Just warn me not to come in next time you're going to make love," he turned to leave, laughing his head off.

"We weren't..." Fanya started to say, but realized that Thranduil wasn't listening. Legolas closed and locked her door. He sat beside Fanya and took her hand, entwining his fingers in hers. '_How warm her hands are_,' he thought.

"Can I expect that kind of welcome every time I leave Mirkwood?" Legolas chuckled. Fanya blushed and smiled.

"I've missed you so much," she said, squeezing his hand.

"And I," Legolas said. His other hand trailed to the chain around her neck. Fanya took it off and handed it to him.

"It's yours," she said. Legolas folded it into her hands.

"I gave it to you as a promise," Legolas said sweetly. "A promise that one day I would be yours, and you would be mine. It is yours now." Fanya smiled and bent forward to kiss him again. Legolas, with a sparkle in his eye, fell on top of her and started tickling her.

Fanya writhed and squealed, trying to get away from Legolas' skilled fingers, but nothing worked. Finally she pulled his face down to hers and their lips met again. And again. And again.

A knock on the door interrupted them a few minutes later. Legolas sighed. "Why can't they leave us alone?" he pouted. The look on his face was so adorable, that Fanya giggled and kissed his lower lip. She trailed behind Legolas and he opened the door. It was Thranduil again.

"Father," he rolled his eyes. "Honestly, ten minutes alone is nothing!"

"I was in love too, once, you think I don't know that?" Thranduil laughed. Fanya noted that with his son back, he seemed to have gained a lot of humor. "There's someone... ah... _demanding_ to see you."

"What? Who wants to see me?" Legolas asked, a frown creeping into his features. "It better not be that Isila girl, again... I told her I am _not_ going to marry her," Legolas started to say.

"No, not Isila. She was a nice girl, why didn't you like her? The person I'm talking about is... well, the guards took him down to the dungeons... he hasn't shut up since," Thranduil explained. "It's a...ah... _dwarf_."

It was Legolas' turn to laugh, which he did loudly. "I understand, Father. Go find someone else to bother for now and I'll go sort out our dwarf problem," Legolas continued to laugh. Thranduil's forehead creased, wondering briefly whether the Ring had driven his son into madness like that Gollum creature... but the thought disappeared almost instantly. Seeing how much happier he was with Fanya doused his worries. Legolas actually smiled now, instead of the halfhearted attempt he used to show. He was so lonely before... and only Thranduil saw through his barrier. It was good that he had found a bride.

Legolas ducked into his room and threw on something to wear, and Fanya watched silently from her doorway. How long ago had it been since they had stood together in that heated spring in fair Lórien? The sight of his smooth chest and muscled back made her shiver in delight.

Legolas paused, wearing only his breeches, and walked over to her. Almost unconsciously, her fingers traced the lines of his stomach. Legolas smiled at her.

"Later, my love," he assured. "Now is not the time." Fanya realized what she was doing and flitted back into her room. She tossed on a deep red colored dress and brushed and plaited her hair. She met Legolas back in his room and they walked through the hallways together, their fingers entwined. Many people stopped to talk with Legolas, welcoming him home and congratulating him on his upcoming wedding. He thanked them all politely and they slowly made their way down into the dungeons.

There was an incessant and dissonant sound that teased their ears. As they descended it became earsplitting. Soon, it became apparent that it was Gimli the dwarf's continuous yells at the elves, presumably at the guards.

'_My gosh, what a pair of lungs he has..._' Fanya thought as they came to a doorway guarded by two elves, flinching at a new bout of yells.

They both bowed to Legolas and one of them opened the door. They immediately found Gimli's cell and Legolas started talking to the nearest guard.

Gimli must have heard Legolas' voice through the door, because he stopped yelling.

"Well it's about _time_ you got here! What're you saying, you lunk of an Elf! You know I don't understand that blasted talk!" he roared. There was a single window in the wooden door and it was at an elf's face height.

"And this poor elf hasn't an idea of what you're yelling at him," Legolas called through the door to him. "So be a good dwarf and do our ears a bit of good by shutting up!"

Gimli grumbled darkly to himself in a language Fanya did not understand. Fanya laughed, hearing Legolas' and Gimli's battle of words.

"Oh, so you've got your girlfriend with you too. Have a good reunion night last night?" he asked in a teasing tone. Fanya swore she could see Legolas blush.

"Do be quiet," Legolas snapped as the guard warily gave him the key to the cell, "or I will leave you locked in there forever."

"So much for the hospitality of the Elves," Gimli grumbled as he emerged from the cell looking as grumpy and dwarvish as he always did. "You showed this much hospitality to my father and his friends too... now let me see your girl and give her a good looking at." Gimli glanced up and down Fanya's body, making her blush.

"Gimli!" Legolas snapped. "That's enough!"

"You're so twitchy, Elf. Calm down," Gimli chuckled. "All I wanna' do is tell you whether she's good enough for you or not."

Legolas sighed audibly. Fanya knew they had become friends in Lórien, but obviously there was a limit to Legolas' patience. They were ascending the stairs now. Once they had gotten up into the main hall, Legolas turned to Fanya.

He spoke in Elvish, so Gimli couldn't understand. "I'm sorry, Fanya, but I think Gimli and I will have to leave for a while in order to tell Father about our little expedition," Legolas apologized. He didn't want to leave her, but he had no choice.

"You're talking about me! I heard my name!" Gimli interrupted.

Legolas and Fanya both silenced Gimli with a single glare. "Legolas, you don't have to worry," Fanya said. "I've been preoccupying myself in this damned palace for months now, I _think _I can amuse myself for a few more hours," she said. She then stood on her toes and whispered into his ear, like a secret, "And imagine what fun we'll have later," At the same time, her tongue darted out and teased his ear tip. Legolas shuddered, but his face was smiling.

"Fanya, you think of everything!" Legolas said with a sly grin. "Why didn't _I _think of that?" he asked.

"Because you hardly slept last night and you can't think because I'm around to tease you," Fanya answered smoothly. She kissed his cheek and walked away from him, seductively swaying her hips. She threw a glance over her shoulder and saw Legolas staring at her with his mouth open, and she smiled to herself. She slipped into her room a few minutes later and sank into a chair. Her thoughts were moving too fast for her comfort.

"When did I start acting like this?" she said, trying to calm herself. Her actions toward Legolas felt so normal, as if she had always been around him and teased him and loved him... as if there had never been an uncomfortable tension between them; that there had always been love. Being in love was almost as scary as facing down those huge hairy spiders she knew were in the forest. It turned her into a different person. Not for the first time, her father's words echoed through her head. _"Fanya, if there is anything that you must know about love, it is that once love has caught you, you do crazy things. You do not know what drives you. Something that you wouldn't normally do becomes a routine in your daily life. Always remember this. I loved your mother with all my heart, and she loved me. This was all I needed to know..."_

Her love was the source of her actions... she smiled and absentmindedly walked over to her dresser picked up her brush to start brushing her hair, humming softly to herself. There was a loud knock on the door, and Lenwe burst in before Fanya could open the door.

"Is it true the Prince is back?" he demanded.

"Yes, Lenwe," Fanya said happily. Her thoughts were finally sorted out, and she felt a lot calmer... at least her father had acted like an idiot while he was in love, too. "He got back last night." She said this before she was able to stop herself... she knew she had said a little too much when Lenwe started to look sly and childish.

"Ooh, _last_ _night_... and did you have a nice reunion?" he cackled, teasing her.

"Lenwe!" Fanya sighed. "I was _already asleep_ when he got back," she said.

"And he didn't wake you up?" Lenwe asked. Fanya hated him when he started acting like this.

"_No!_ And we didn't do _anything _this morning either, before you ask!" she added. Lenwe settled himself on Fanya's unmade bed.

"And what about to_night_?" he asked slyly. Fanya blushed and turned away on the pretense of selecting the largest book she could find in order to throw it at him.

"None of your business," she said. She selected a book and sat down with her in a large squishy armchair, opening it and wishing Lenwe would stop teasing her... why did he always make her think dangerous thoughts?

"Ooh, none of my business, is it?" Lenwe said slyly. He walked over to her chair and sat on one of the arms. "You know, I have a wife... I know all about that _business_." Fanya buried her face in her book and sighed loudly, wishing that Lenwe would stop making her think such thoughts. She could even feel her ears tingeing pink.

"_Lenwe_... please go annoy someone else," she said, setting down the book she hadn't been reading in order to glare at him properly.

"I don't feel like it, and the book is upside down," he added. Then he uncharacteristically turned serious. He took the book and set it on a table, and then turned to face Fanya. "Fanya, the real reason I've come is that I wanted to talk with you, now that the Prince is back... and I know that you'll be married soon; possibly as soon as next month.

"I've watched you from the day you arrived in this forest; I've watched you turn from a human girl with pointed ears into a beautiful elf maiden. You didn't know anything about us except our language, and even then you were a little shoddy with it," he winked. "But you have flowered beautifully, and now you're not only getting married, you're becoming a princess," Lenwe smiled at her. "I wish I could explain to you the joy that I get from teaching you and being your friend."

"Thank you, Lenwe," Fanya beamed at him, not knowing exactly what to say to him.

"I've spent a fair amount of time around the Prince. He used to hang around the training field and watch me train the elves that would one day be under his command. He was always nice to me, but for my entire life he's always been so lonely. He used to take lovers for the night when he was younger for festivals or just for fun... but that all changed as he grew older. He stopped taking lovers and dancing at the festivals. He was terribly lonely, and I know that you'll make him happy." Fanya hugged Lenwe and he left. She was touched by his words. Sure, she'd heard a lot about Legolas' past, about how he could woo almost any maiden he wanted into his bed... was that why he loved her? She hadn't jumped right into his bed?

'_Stop it, Fanya_,' she chastised herself. '_You're thinking too much... just wait for him to come back to you, and you can have some fun.'_ She immediately squashed that last part of her thought, wishing she could stop thinking about sleeping with him. She couldn't help be anxious, though... she had never experienced it, but she had been approached by elves who wanted to sleep with her. Most of those instances had occurred during the seasonal festivals, and had been easily brushed aside. None of those elves had any sort of attachment to her... but that night when Legolas had asked her to, she had almost said yes... and that scared her.

There was another knock on the door. Fanya answered it, finding a young elf she thought was called Telerion.

"Hello," she said as she opened it.

"My lady, the King requests your presence immediately in his study," Telerion said, standing straight and stiff in his palace livery.

"Alright. Thank you, Telerion," she said. The elf looked shocked that she knew his name. He bowed and scurried off to most likely deliver another message. Fanya closed her door and walked the all-too-familiar path to Thranduil's study through the painting-laden hallways. She had just about reached the door when it opened, and Gimli walked out. He spotted her, and walked over to her.

"That was exhausting," he sighed. "I never knew how tiring it was to tell a story!" he grumbled. "Well anyway... have fun in there... I'm sure you'll brighten up that Elf a bit," he winked.

"Sorry to hear you're so tired," Fanya said. "Do you know where your room is? Do you need me to show you where it is?" she asked. Gimli shook his head.

"I'll find it fine by myself," he assured her.

"Good," Fanya said. "You should go rest, then. You look like you need it," she suggested. "At least get a little sleep before that feast Thranduil is sure to call for tonight."

"Something about you has changed since we last saw each other," Gimli said, ignoring her commend and turning a speculating eye on her. "You're acting all motherly and stuff... Legolas had better impregnate you soon... because he might die if you mother him too much." Gimli danced out of her way, and Fanya could hear him laughing even when she shut the door.

She was glad to see that Legolas was blushing too when she entered the study. Thranduil was chuckling. They had obviously both heard the words exchanged between Fanya and Gimli.

"Shut it, Thranduil," Fanya snapped. Thranduil stopped laughing, although there was a very evident twinkle in his eyes. Fanya sat by Legolas, who was sitting comfortably in a chair right opposite his father. Somehow their hands became intertwined underneath Thranduil's desk, and briefly they made eye contact.

"So, why am I wanted here?" Fanya asked. She really had no idea why she was needed.

"Wedding plans," Thranduil said cheerfully and predictably. Fanya sighed loudly and slumped back into her chair. She had been hoping that it would be something slightly more interesting. Like a family trip to Lórien, or an upcoming unexpected festival...

"Thranduil, can't you let Legolas _breathe_ for a few days before you dump this on him?" Fanya asked, rolling her eyes. "Honestly, you haven't even let _me_ breathe recently! At _all_!"

"Ah, but today is the fun part," Thranduil winked. "Today we choose a date." This made Fanya sit a little straighter. _Finally!_ Even Legolas, who had not been a part of this so far, perked up a little. Obviously his rendition of the War of the Ring had tired him out, too.

"So what dates are we thinking about?" Fanya asked excitedly. Thranduil pulled out a list of dates and what looked like a calendar.

"I was looking at these dates," Thranduil pointed at three or so days within the next three months. "After this comes the winter... and winter is never fun to marry in – too much snow," Thranduil winked. Legolas nodded. He looked over at Fanya.

"How about tomorrow?" Legolas whispered to Fanya as Thranduil shuffled papers. Fanya giggled and inwardly swooned... how wonderful it was to hear his voice again!

"Sounds great," Fanya replied with a smile. Legolas took her hand in his and stood to get a better look at the papers on Thranduil's desk.

"The week of the Autumn Festival looks nice," Fanya said, pointing at one of the dates about a month from now."That would give us plenty of time to organize the invitations and the flowers and decorations."

Thranduil looked to Legolas, who had fallen silent again. Legolas nodded his approval. Obviously Legolas wanted to get out of the cluttered study and into the world again, Fanya noted. '_Or into his room again,_' she added to her previous thought.

"Autumn Festival, it is!" Thranduil agreed. "I'll take care of the invitations, then. Tomorrow we'll have a feast in honor of your return, Legolas, and you can't skip it," Thranduil stared at him pointedly. Obviously Legolas had done so in the past, from the look that Thranduil was giving him. Fanya thought that was amusing. Legolas nodded, and glanced at Fanya. Fanya read his plea of help, and she stood up to leave. Fanya thanked Thranduil and started to turn toward the door.

"You two should go eat something. Or on second thought, I'll have some food sent to your room tonight," Thranduil said with a knowing smile. "Don't think I don't know what my own son thinks of."

"_Father!_" Legolas protested, glaring at Thranduil. "Honestly, I'm here for not even half a day and you start embarrassing me in front of my future _wife_." Legolas' face broke out in a true smile again. This new Legolas, the post-war Legolas was interesting, Fanya thought... quite unpredictable. First he is practically silent, and then he's arguing with his father right and left... or has he always been that way?

"We're going now," Fanya pulled on Legolas' arm, but Legolas leaned in to kiss her neck. She giggled and tried to run away from him, but he wouldn't let go. She finally tore from his grasp and dashed down the hallway, leaving the door ajar.

Thranduil heaved himself up from his desk and went to shut the door. He could still hear their giggles and squeals from down the hallway...

"Ah, young love," Thranduil chuckled.

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**A/N: And there you have it. Chapter 27! I hope it was successfully fluffy and enjoyable! I am just going to wrap this story up and have it done by the end of June! So look for updates from me SOON! **

**...I have joined Orli outside and he is very amusing. **

**Orli: SIIIIIIINGING IN THE RAIN... Just siiiiiiiiining in the RAIN!**

**Me: HEY WAIT FOR MEEE! runs and joins him DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW!**


	30. Tonight

**A/N: And now, the chapter you have all been waiting for... The wedding! Please understand that I took some liberties with the wedding of our favorite elf...**

**Orli: Oh please. She completely screwed it up.**

**Me: Hey! I did not! They still are joined by a rope and all... but the vows aren't outlined in LACE, so I made them up. **

**Orli: You messed it all up, and you know, the elves are supposed to wait a year before they can wed after they are engaged.**

**Me: Well, that's why its FICTION. Fan FICTION. So anyway, I hope you all understand why I did what I did, and do enjoy the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I wrote the poem (for the vows) and I created Fanya, Gerin, Ana, Terra, Etc... the rest of those little pricks I've just nicked for the week.**

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**_Chapter 28: Tonight_**

Everything was done. Everything was set. The wedding would be held in one hour, and Fanya was ecstatic. She was wearing Thranduil's mother's dress, studying herself in the large mirror in her room. The dress was a crimson color, the color of the turning autumn. Tied to Fanya's waist was a custom sash embroidered with the White Tree of Gondor, crowned with Mirkwood's ivy leaves. Aragorn had presented it to her that morning, saying that because she was of Gondor and of Mirkwood, that it was a fitting sash.

Arwen was currently attacking her hair with pins, and straightening her dress, searching for the minute things that weren't perfect. Arwen was looking radiant in her own dress of royal purple.

There were several other people in Fanya's room as well. They included Gerin, Ana, and Terra. Earlier on in the day a few of the palace maids were in here, but Arwen shooed them away with a formidable glare and a dismissing wave. She seemed to enjoy bossing people around, no matter how sweet-natured she really was.

Terra was humming to herself, bouncing happily on Fanya's bed and pestering the adults in the room to answer bizarre questions. "Why aren't you wearing a white dress? Are those roses? Are those _real_ jewels? What's that? Can I have something to eat? I'm hungry..."

Everyone in the room ignored her.

Gerin was as quiet and shy as she usually was. She had spent the afternoon trying to get Terra to sit still long enough to have her hair braided and twisted into a bun. Early on in the day, Ana helped out readying Fanya, but Arwen was emanating such a powerful vibe that clearly stated 'L_eave her to ME!'_ that she eventually sank into a chair and started simply conversing with Fanya. Asking questions about how an elvish wedding works or what was the significance of this or that. Fanya didn't know a lot of answers, so ultimately it was Arwen that eventually answered those questions.

Fanya glanced at the sky outside. It was getting dark. '_Finally_' she thought. She was becoming a ball of nerves. Somehow she had managed to keep a calm outlook on the day up until now. The words '_I'm getting married... to Legolas. I'm getting married..._' kept repeating over and over in her head, driving her insane.

"You nervous?" Ana asked. Fanya nodded palely. "Calm down. Or you won't be able to say a word tonight," she said encouragingly.

There was a knock on the door, and somebody peeked their head inside. It was Lenwe.

"Time to go, everybody," he announced. "And by the way, Fanya, Legolas is even more jittery than you are, if that's any consolation." With that, he left. Fanya called after him,

"What? No _'Good luck?_'" she yelled, frowning for reasons she didn't really understand.

"Shh. Just focus on what's ahead," Arwen said with a small chuckle. Gerin nodded. Terra bounced beside them.

"Alright... focusing..." Fanya focused, but all that came to her were flashes of what had happened in the last month...

Being pressed against cold walls and ravaged with Legolas' mouth, swimming in the hot springs in the lower levels of the palace, walking through the gardens and smelling the roses... and she had become a true elf. She was sure that night would stay with her forever.

-O-

It was Legolas' second night home, the night of his honorary feast. There had been much eating and joyful chatter, and when Thranduil announced that it was time for the dancing, every elf in the hall joyfully stepped outside. Lanterns and torches were lit on the main road and a mass of elves made their way out into the dark, talking and laughing merrily. A band struck up a tune and elves started dancing to the quick beat.

Legolas, who had looked pleasantly bored all evening, brightened up a considerable amount. Fanya and Legolas walked outside, holding hands. Legolas bowed to Fanya and asked formally, "Would my Lady honor me with a dance?" he asked, extending out a hand for Fanya to take.

"Will my Lord not step on my toes?" She replied smoothly. Legolas faked a pout, and Fanya took his hand with a laugh. "I would love to dance," she said with a big smile.

"I will do my best," Legolas said with a twinkle in his eye. They plunged into the throng of dancers, and danced the night away.

What must have been hours later, they emerged completely winded from the excitement. They had danced every dance, sang every song, and had the time of their lives, sharing a quick kiss every chance they had.

"This is what our wedding night will be like, except that the honor will include your name as well as mine," Legolas breathed into her ear as they walked in the dark.

"Except our wedding night will also include something else..." Fanya whispered in reply, hinting at what she _knew_ Legolas wanted. In truth, she wanted a second taste of what naughty deeds Legolas could do with those tough archer's hands. Just thinking about the night before made her giggle.

"Mmm... I know," Legolas practically growled, dragging Fanya away from the throng of people and into the secluded woods.

It was not _entirely_ romantic to be shoved against a tree and ravaged by Legolas' mouth, but oh, how enjoyable it was...

The moonlight fell on top of them through the tangled tree branches. The stars seemed to fall through the trees, sprinkling the elves' hair and eyelashes with sparkles. To Legolas, Fanya looked like a princess. _His_ princess.

"You are beautiful, my love," he said, encircling Fanya's waist with his arms from behind and squeezing her to him. Fanya snapped her head around to look at him and saw a glint in his eyes. The same frightening and feral glint she had seen the night before while they were making love.

Fanya, acting on impulse turned and pressed herself against Legolas and claimed his mouth with her own. Somehow she knew that tonight she would always remember, that if she did not act then she would lose something amazing. Last night she had come to know Legolas so intimately that she shivered whenever she thought about him... tonight, though. Tonight wouldn't be painful, would be simply to love and be loved...

A particular movement made Fanya come out of her thoughts and she remembered where she was. Legolas had turned suddenly much more serious and passionate mid-kiss. He thrust his tongue inside of her mouth and robbed her of her breath, as if it was his to claim. When she surfaced from their kiss she was breathless and clinging to Legolas for support. Legolas was staring her down, and for a long time neither one said anything.

"Legolas...I want..." Fanya began to speak. Her heart started to beat faster.

"Shh... I know," Legolas assured lovingly, whispering into her ear and gently kissing the tip of her ear. Fanya shuddered and her knees buckled. She lowered herself to the ground slowly, dragging Legolas with her.

"Can you hear it?" Legolas asked, nuzzling into Fanya's neck.

"What?" Fanya asked, wondering what on earth Legolas was talking about. Legolas was torturing her already, teasing her body until she felt ready to rip the clothes off of him... which she started to do. She reached for the buttons of his tunic and started to unbutton them, but as she was undoing a second one, Legolas' strong hands stopped her. She looked up at him, curiosity shining in her eyes.

"Before we do this, I want to know if you can hear what I hear..." Legolas said completely serious. He ran a finger down the side of her ear and planted a soft kiss on its tip. Fanya could hear many things... the sound of her beating heart, the rustle of the trees in the wind, the crickets in the wood... but what was Legolas hearing that she was not?

"The stars sing to me what will happen tonight," Legolas said, almost in a warning tone. "They choose tonight to celebrate our love... they choose tonight to bind us together forever."

"Bind..." Fanya repeated, closing her eyes and straining to hear. "I can hear the song..."

Legolas' smile reached from ear tip to ear tip. When Fanya opened her eyes, she saw this and nipped his lip, then pressed another kiss against his mouth.

"You rush!" Legolas scolded. "That is no way to consummate our love!"

"Can you move faster than a dwarf, please?" Fanya asked. Legolas' reply was lost in another kiss.

-O-

And Fanya fell asleep, curled against Legolas on the soft grass. Legolas watched her sleep, counting her breaths, feeling her heart beat to the same rhythm as his own. His eyes roamed the contours of her body, her hair fanned out behind her, her toned stomach, her long legs. Legolas glanced at the fading stars, and they twinkled at him, winking him toward his future with his wife.

_His wife_.

Fanya was probably not entirely aware of the technicalities, but by binding herself to him she became his wife. The ceremony that was being held in a few weeks was merely to present their bond to the community and to Erü. The true "wedding" had just occurred...

And it felt wonderful to him. He had wanted for so long to feel Fanya's touch on his skin, her arms wrapped around him, her lips on his mouth... and her stubbornness made the wait all the sweeter.

Legolas was not sure why Fanya was sleeping so deeply. He had never known anyone to fall into such a deep sleep, especially after lovemaking. Any of his lovers in his past had merely dozed... what was different about Fanya?

'_Everything..._' he answered himself.

He ignored his thoughts. He curled a protective arm around Fanya and fell asleep.

-O-

Legolas did not rest for long. He was awoken by a pair of delicious blue eyes staring into his own, and fingers stroking his face. "Good morning, my love," Fanya cooed, planting kisses along his jaw line. "Did you sleep well?"

"I should ask the same of you... you slept so deeply," Legolas said.

"I know..." she answered. Truth be told, she felt both awful and wonderful this morning. Her eyesight was better, her level of hearing was giving her a headache, letting her hear every crack of a twig, every birdsong, every rustle of grass, every breath of the earth. Her whole body tingled, and her mind was exhausted after her dream. For in her dream, she had talked with her creator while there... he had been kind enough to show up when she wanted to scream and pound her head against a rock. Legolas' lovemaking was exhausting and riveting and skilled, all at once. All the emotions, all of the physicality of a new bond, all of the feelings of rapture... _Everything_ left her confused.

She recalled the moment that their unity reached its peak. A light appeared in her mind's eye. It grew and grew and grew until all she felt, all that mattered in the world, was Legolas. It brought her to a new understanding of what love and what was important in her life. And then when she slept, Illúvatar had shown up when her soul had sought refuge away from her body in the desolate fields of her dream-world. And he had been patient and kind, and he had answered everything she had asked of him. And that felt good; she felt better.

And now she was an Elf. She was no longer a half-elf, no longer half-made, half-immortal, no longer incomplete. She was one-hundred percent, and there was nothing to stop her. She felt that, with Legolas, she could conquer the world if she so wanted.

She wrapped an arm around Legolas, her lover, her life, and laid her head on his chest, listening to his heart.

"I love you," she murmured as she drifted off into sleep again.

"I know," Legolas whispered.

-O-

Guests began streaming in two weeks before then wedding. All of the Fellowship were summoned, Galadriel and Celeborn, Faramir and Eowyn, Eomer and his new wife Lothiriel, and many people otherwise.

Arwen and Fanya were introduced, and Arwen had befriended her easily. She began to fuss over the decorations and almost robbed Fanya of the job of planning a wedding entirely.

"I missed out on my own wedding planning, so I'm taking yours," she joked one day, when she and Fanya were picking flowers out of the garden Fanya had tended to.

To this, Fanya just laughed and let her. She had spent FAR too much time working on this, in her opinion.

Coming with Aragorn and the party from Gondor were several human officials there to talk to Thranduil. As Fanya was about to turn to help Thranduil with something, Fanya heard a rather familiar voice.

"WHOA! Look Mommy! Look at all the elves! See their pointy ears? _LOOK_!"

"Not so loudly, Terra!" her mother shushed her. Fanya turned on Legolas.

"You didn't tell me they were coming!" she exclaimed happily.

"It must have slipped my mind," Legolas shrugged. Fanya punched his arm, kissed his cheek, and then rushed over to meet her nieces and her sister. Terra got to her first and plummeted into her stomach, nearly knocking the wind out of Fanya.

"Oh Fanya, Fanya! Look at all the Elves, Fanya! Do you live here?" she asked excitedly in her childish high-pitched voice.

"Yes, Terra. I live in there," she pointed behind her to the palace, and she watched as Terra's eyes grew comically wide.

"In _THERE_?" she asked in awe. By this time, Gerin had helped Ana off of her horse and the two women were walking towards her. Fanya embraced both of them tightly and expressed how excited she was to have them here, and how unexpected it was. Legolas came to them and slipped an arm around Fanya's waist after kissing Ana, Gerin on their cheeks, and Terra on her head.

"Your _husband_ there came up with the idea. He tracked us down while he was in Minas Tirith... and imagine how shocked _I_ was when the Prince of Mirkwood and the King Ellesar himself knocked on my door!" Ana said with a smile.

"ARAGORN!" Fanya yelled to the human king. He came over to the group and grinned sheepishly at the stern face that Fanya was wearing. "YOU were the one to bring these three lovely women along?" Fanya yelled at him. "And you didn't TELL me?"

"Yes..." Aragorn mumbled. He looked surprised when she threw her arms around him.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"Now come along. I know there is plenty of room in the Palace to stow you three away," she winked. "I will show you to your rooms and you can bathe," (Terra winced at this,) "and get ready for the welcome feast for the Gondorian party."

Legolas was impressed with how Fanya handled things so easily...she would make a wonderful wife. '_And mother_', he added to himself.

Everybody was situated in their rooms soon enough, and Terra practically dove into the bath when she saw the dress that Fanya had found for her. While Gerin and Terra were occupied, Fanya went and sat down with Ana.

"Ana, I have a big favor to ask of you," Fanya asked.

"What? Anything for my big sister," she smiled.

"Well, let me explain how an Elvish wedding works," Fanya started to say. She and Legolas had discussed this at length (for obvious reasons), and they had come up with a solution to their only glitch. "An Elvish wedding consists of two parts: The public presentation, and the presentation to the Creator. What we're presenting is our bond that we have created, the bond that links our souls together forever. In the first part of the ceremony, the bride and bridegroom are linked together by a rope tied to their wrists. The mother of the bride and the father of the groom tie the knot," Fanya paused.

"So you see where my dilemma is... I have no mother to tie my knot," Fanya said with a halfhearted smile. "I was hoping that you would step in for Mother," she finally said.

"Of course I will, Sister," Ana exclaimed. Fanya stood up and threw her arms around her sister.

"Than you so much, Ana... this means the world to me," she muttered into Ana's gray hair.

"I never knew how, but your love in my early childhood never left me. It is my pleasure, close to the end of my own life, to do this for you," Ana said sweetly.

"I will see you later tonight... I have to go tell Legolas!" Fanya started to walk out the room excitedly, but Ana called her as she reached the door.

"Oh, and Fanya," she said. Fanya turned, wearing a questioning look, "That's a fine man you're marrying," Ana said. Fanya beamed.

-O-

The place where the wedding ceremony was to occur was jammed with elves all festively dressed and talking merrily. There was an aisle lit by torches that were flickering happily in the autumn wind. There were lanterns swinging from tree branches, illuminating the crowd.

But as Fanya and her sister stood at the end of the aisle, the chatter ceased. Except for the rustle of the wind and the evening chirps of crickets, not a sound was heard. Ana hooked her arm in Fanya's and started to walk her down the aisle. Fanya's attention was drawn to Legolas, and Legolas only. He looked, if possible, even more handome than he usually did. He was wearing a silver outfit, which seemed to sparkle in the twilight. His hair was flowing freely down his shoulders, and upon his brow was a circlet, denoting him as crown Prince.

She came to a stop in front of Legolas, and tried to smile. Legolas smiled weakly in return, and took her hands in his. He lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed it, never breaking his spellbound eye contact with her.

In his eyes Fanya saw fear, uncertainty, determination, love, passion... and many more emotions. Through her bond with him, she was sure that those emotions were mirrored in her own blue eyes.

Thranduil started talking, speaking in Silvan, language of the High Elves.

"In the beginning of time, Illuvatar sang the beautiful song of creation, envisioning a harmonic union between the earth, the Elves, and himself. And he sang the world into being, and he made it perfect, never to be disfigured with dissonant melodies.

"In the same way, we unite these two elves tonight before Illuvatar our creator with this wood as our witness." Thranduil paused, looking at his son, and then to Fanya. Both elves, he knew, were itching to get their hands on each other, to unite as husband and wife at last.

The elves sang the first song customary to Elvish weddings. It spoke of the creation of Arda, and of the bond between the Creator and the creation. As the last notes faded away, Thranduil spoke again.

"Bring the gifts forward," Thranduil motioned to Aragorn and Arwen, who brought two gifts forward, handing them to Thranduil and Ana. Ana's gift was a small bag.

Ana spoke first, in a wavering voice, and because she spoke no Elvish, only those who knew the tongue of Men could understand.

Ana extended the small bag to Thranduil, who took it only after she had spoken. "From the land of Gondor, we present a seed of the White Tree for your garden as a symbol of the union of Men and Elves alike," she breathed deeply after she said this, stepping back and looking relieved.

Thranduil nodded deeply in gratitude, and then took the package from Aragorn. He unwrapped the cloth and unraveled a sash, much like the one Fanya was wearing. It was green and embroidered with ivy vines, wound around a bow.

"A sash with the design my son requested for his wife to wear," Thranduil announced. Fanya's eyes were drawn to a tiny inscription with the words in Elven script, "_That to which we do not know is not a mystery if we just try to learn._"

As Fanya read this, she pondered the words. Legolas smiled, and mouthed, "I will explain."

The ceremony resumed after the Giving of the Gifts with a second song. This was a song of promise, the song of Vows. After the verses had been sung by the wood, their voices faded with the last note, and the song was taken up by Legolas and Fanya. The words of the song were sung in unison and were learned by heart.

"_Tonight,_

_The infinite stars rejoice,_

_For our bond is known to them now,_

_Just as it was initiated by them. _

_Tonight,_

_I vow to love you for all my life,_

_Care for you forever,_

_And if Mandos' halls call one of us, _

_Then I will follow you eternally,_

_With no regrets._

_Through witnesses here _

_Tonight,_

_Our bond is known to the whole world,_

_And tonight,_

_We celebrate our love,_

_Not only tonight, _

_But evermore_."

While Legolas and Fanya sang, Ana had withdrawn two golden bands from another bag and placed the rings on Fanya and Legolas' index fingers. Arwen stepped forward and untied Fanya's white sash, and replaced it with the green one that had just been given to her. Ana and Thranduil then joined Legolas' and Fanya's left wrists with a silver rope.

The last words of the song left their lips and silence was once again setting into the air. Thranduil spoke a few last words. "Legolas, Prince of Eryn Lasgalen, and Fanya, daughter of Gondor, you have spoken the vows. You are now eternally bound.

"Fanya, please kneel. We have one last task tonight before the festivities start," Thranduil assured. Fanya knelt, and Legolas with her, because their wrists were joined.

"Fanya, through your marriage to my son, crown prince of this wood, you take up the title as Princess. Do you accept this title and all its duties?" Thranduil asked. Fanya swore she heard him add under his breath, "No matter how boring they can be." This made Fanya smile.

"I do accept this title and all its duties and ask the strength of Erü to help me and guide my actions and decisions," Fanya recited. She then felt the light pressure of a circlet being secured on her head. Part of it twisted and dipped down and the metal pressed coolly against her skin.

"Please rise," Thranduil commanded. "My people," he addressed the crowd. "Prince Legolas, and Princess Fanya," he spoke. The crowd whistled and clapped.

Legolas leant forward and kissed Fanya chastely on her lips. "They love you," he whispered.

"Well, _I _love you," she replied. "Forever."

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**A/N: Awww... I love Legolas! **

**Orli: And me. You love me too!**

**Me: Shove it, curly.**

**So, they're married now... Yay! After-party is next chapter... and speaking of party, I have to shop for my little "yay summer's here" party now, so review really fast while I go to the store! **

**-Ivy **

**P.S. Thanks fo Lady Anck-su-Namun, amrawo, and "Anonymous" for reviewing! I'm up to 235 reviews! _-celebrates-_**


	31. Never Uncertain

**A/N: Suilad my loyal readers!**

**Orli: _Gangsta_. What's up?**

**Me: It's the end of the story... the end of a long journey... **

**Orli: And the end of my imprisonment!**

**Me: Not quite! I've still got the epilogue to post!**

**Orli: NOOOOO!**

**Disclaimer: Still. Not. Mine.

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**

**_Chapter 29: Never Uncertain_**

There were few who were left in the clearing where the ceremony was held. Fanya and Legolas were there, and so were Thranduil, Arwen and Aragorn, Lenwe, Merry, Pippin, Frodo, Sam, Gimli, Gandalf, Ana, Gerin, Terra, and Linque. Thranduil had untied Fanya and Legolas' wrists, and both were being congratulated.

"It's so good to see you again, Fanya," Sam said to Fanya.

"It has been a very long time," Fanya said, hugging the hobbit.

"Yes, congratulations, Princess," Frodo said. Fanya beamed. The new title "Princess" made her giddy.

"Thank you, Frodo."

"Can we leave? I'm _still_ hungry," interrupted a voice. "And I didn't understand a word of that... It was boring. Except for the part where they put a crown on your head. Can I have a crown, too?"

"_Terra_!" Gerin snapped.

"If you're good, Terra," Fanya said, picking up the girl and twirling her around. "I might let you wear mine for a while," Fanya kissed Terra's cheek. The girl giggled.

"Are you a princess now?"

"Yes, she is, little one," Legolas said, kissing the small girl's cheek too.

"And you're a Prince?" she asked.

"Yep," Legolas smiled.

"Wow..." the girl said, her little mind clearly baffled. She ran up to Gerin and tugged at her dress skirt. "Can we go _now?_" she asked again. Everyone chuckled at the girl's short attention span.

"We'll escort her, Miss," Pippin said seriously, taking the girl's arm.

"Yes, we will," Merry added, mimicking Pippin on Terra's other side. Everyone laughed. They all knew what Merry and Pippin were up to.

"We'll see you later," Pippin called, walking the girl out. Terra was about at tall as he was. It was very cute.

"Don't wait too long!" Merry added.

"Don't eat all the food before I can get to it!" Gimli yelled at the shrinking forms of the hobbits. "Well, you're Mrs. Legolas, now," Gimli said, turning to Fanya. "What's your first movement as a princess then? A royal edict of the removal of a certain Prince's clothing, it would seem to me."

"Actually no. I will have Legolas shove an arrow up your butt if you don't stop teasing me," Fanya said unblushingly. This made everybody burst out in laughter again.

"Such Princess-like words!" Aragorn commented. "I can see you're already a natural."

"Just because you're a king, doesn't mean I can't tell Legolas to do the same to you," Fanya shot with a smile.

"I tremble in my boots," Aragorn said. "Come Arwen... we can speak with them later, but I think it is time to let them be alone with their families. That goes for you, too," he called to Sam, Frodo, and Gimli.

"Ah, an old Wizard's duty calls, too," Gandalf said. He kissed both Fanya's cheeks. "I am afraid that I will have to satisfy some Hobbits with my fireworks. I will speak with you later," the Wizard shepherded the rest of the Fellowship out. Gerin left after hugging Fanya again. Now Ana, Thranduil, Linque, Fanya, and Legolas were left.

Fanya turned to her father and hugged him tightly. Linque was crying quietly.

"I cannot believe that my daughter is a Princess," he said. Fanya wiped his tears away. "I would have never imagined this day... it was perfect."

"Yes, it was, Father," Fanya replied. "I am so happy."

"You know what I have to do now..." Linque said. "I will cross the see. I feel it is my time, now that I have seen my only daughter happily married." There was such sadness and finality in his voice that Fanya did not have the heart to tell him he _had_ to stay; for to say that, that would be selfish and this was what Linque truly desired.

"I will see you tomorrow," Linque said. He kissed Fanya's cheeks and left the clearing. Fanya watched him go with a growing sadness in her heart.

She felt Ana's hand on her arm and Fanya turned to hug her little sister.

"Thank you so much, Ana," Fanya whispered, fighting back tears. "You were wonderful."

"Really?" Ana brightened. "I was so nervous... the whole thing was so beautiful! I cannot believe how beautiful an Elvish wedding is... it makes me wish my own wedding was more like this one," she sighed. "But enough about my sorry past... you have a Prince to satisfy," she winked. "I will go join the others at the festivities. I will see you later," she assured.

"Thank you, Ana. This meant so much to me," Fanya hugged Ana again. They watched as Ana left, and Thranduil was the only one left with them. Fanya slipped her hand into Legolas' and he squeezed her hand sweetly.

"Well, Legolas, Fanya. It is finally over," Thranduil said. "All those hours lead up to now. I know you two wish to be alone... so I will stop babbling and leave for the festivities."

"Thank you, Father," Legolas said.

"Yes. Although you're annoying at times, I will forever be grateful for you performing our ceremony," Fanya smiled.

"Thank you for you kind words," Thranduil beamed and winked. Fanya and Legolas waited until Thranduil had disappeared before turning on each other.

Legolas pressed a tender kiss against Fanya's lips. "I cannot believe we made it," he whispered.

"I know..."

"They are not expecting us for some time..." Legolas hinted shamelessly.

"Yes... and what do you plan on doing during that time?" Fanya used the most seductive look she could to convey her point. Legolas, however was two steps ahead of her, untying her sash.

"Exactly what I want to."

* * *

Two hours later, the party was still in full swing. People were dancing, singing, and eating. Pippin was even dancing with little Terra. People clapped and whistled as the newlyweds entered the dancing ring.

And Legolas and Fanya danced their first dance as a married couple. They waltzed and twirled and laughed and kissed and enjoyed their night.

Later on, Fanya felt a tap on her shoulder as she was standing with Legolas and talking to Gandalf. Apparently Legolas had felt the same tap, as they both turned around at the same time. There Aragorn stood, looking triumphant.

"Yes, Aragorn?" Legolas asked.

"I believe, I have a bet to fulfill," Aragorn said boldly

"_Bet_?" repeated Legolas and Fanya. What bet?

"Ah... you have forgotten," Aragorn said slyly. "Let me repeat, words from the Prince himself: _"If I win, I get to kiss your girl. If you win, you get to kiss mine."_"

Legolas smacked himself. "I cannot believe you remember that!" Legolas agonized.

"_What bet?_" Fanya scrutinized the pair of them.

"Your _husband_ failed to shoot 1000 bulls-eyes in a row in a friendly competition last fall. And the terms were that if he was able to fulfill that bet he could kiss Arwen, and if he failed I could kiss you. And I believe I have those terms to fulfill," Aragorn said proudly.

"_Legolas_!" Fanya whined. Legolas had turned away.

"Just do it quickly," Legolas said, hiding his face.

Before Fanya could protest again, Aragorn had kissed her with such force he knocked the wind out of her. When he pulled away, Fanya felt faint.

"Really..." Fanya said faintly. "I hope you don't do that to Arwen all the time. She'd faint every time you kiss!"

"Oh, but that's how she likes it. Rough," Aragorn said unblushingly. Fanya giggled, and before she could say anything else, Legolas had dragged her away from the human.

"Honestly, Fanya... would you like to see me kiss your best friend?" Legolas grumbled. It was bad enough to have lost the bet, but it was even worse to tell that Fanya obviously enjoyed her kiss with Aragorn. "And don't even say you enjoyed it," he added.

"Well... I could do without the beard, but he _is_ a good kisser. I can see why Arwen loves him so much..." Fanya trailed off. "But he's ugly and I love you more!" she added quickly when she saw Legolas's glare.

"Come on, Legolas... it's all in fun," Fanya assured sincerely. "I would never love any other man... just you... and I intend to show you this every day for the rest of our lives."

"Truly?" Legolas asked, calming down and letting a smile light his face.

"Yes..." Fanya answered firmly.

* * *

"Will you explain to me about what the writing on my sash means?" Fanya asked later that night as they were walking back to Legolas' (_'our'_, she corrected herself) room. 

"_That to which we do not know is not a mystery if we just try to learn._ It means that if you persist long enough, nothing will be uncertain. I've loved you from the day I saw you crying under that tree, the day you ran away from you family in Gondor. I did not know you, I did not know what we would become, or if I would even learn your name, but I was curious. Something in my soul cried out to me to learn who you were, what you were like, why you were so upset. I put you out of my mind, but you returned to my conscious when I least expected it. And when I persisted on knowing you, it became obvious that I would never be uncertain about loving you..." Legolas caressed her face, staring deep into her eyes. "And I was right... I never was, not deep in my heart."

"And you never will be?" Fanya asked.

"No... I never will be."

_**The End.

* * *

**_

**A/N: I have nothing to say except "review!" and "head to the epilogue!" which I am posting as we speak... or as you read. **

**Orli: And the sooner you read the epilogue, the sooner I get released!**

**Me: So go forth and REVIEW!**

**-Ivy 6/10/06**


	32. Epilogue : White Shores

**A/N: Alas... it is time. **

**Orli: FINALLY!**

**Me: Parting is such sweet sorrow...**

**Orli: Blah blah Shakespeare blah... LEMME GO!**

**Me: _sigh _Alright... _unchains him, lets him out of box, out of the safe, and out of the prison. Rips off the duct tape, unties him, gives him one final kiss, and opens the door_. **

**Orli: LIGHT! SUNLIGHT! _runs away_. **

**Me: _Sigh..._.**

**Disclaimer: For the last time... IT AINT MINE.

* * *

**

**_Epilogue: White Shores_**

"_OW_!"

"MAMA!'

"_DADDY_!"

"HE HIT ME FIRST!"

"Hush! The both of you! Or I will throw you off this boat and you can swim the rest of the way!" Fanya snapped.

"Daddy..." Little Anaria whined, tugging at his tunic. Legolas stooped and swung his youngest daughter into his arms. She was the image of her mother, curly blonde hair and crystal clear blue eyes. "It really _was_ Elfaer's fault..." she whispered into his ear.

"WAS NOT!" Elfaer was heard protesting on the other side of the boat. "I did NOT hit you first." He crossed his arms across his chest and stared defiantly in the opposite direction of his sister and father.

"Oh yes you did, laddie," a low grumble was heard from a certain white-haired dwarf who had apparently been sleeping, spread out across three chairs. "I saw you with my own eyes." Gimli might be old, but he was no less stubborn.

"I thought you were asleep!" Elfaer exclaimed in surprise.

"Well, think again," Gimli grumbled.

"Father! Do you need a break?" called a voice from below deck. Fanya and Legolas' eldest child, Celeblaer appeared, climbing up the ladder and emerging up on deck.

"I would appreciate a break, thank you Celeblaer," Legolas walked across to Fanya and slipped an arm around her waist, observing their three children interacting. Anaria, named after Fanya's sister Ana, who died a few years after they were wed, was the youngest. She was the image of her mother, and their only daughter. She was 15 years old, and looked to be the human equivalent of about 6.

Elfaer, their second child, was blessed with his father's looks, and his grandfather's eyes. He was nearing 30 years of age, and he looked to be about 11 years old. Though he insisted that he was old enough to not be treated like a child, he wasn't above teasing his little sister to tears.

And Celeblaer, their first son, had just turned 60. He had come of age 10 years ago, while living in Ithilien, and he had had the choice before they left of staying with his grandfather in Eryn Lasgalen, or coming across the shores. He had chosen to sail, of course. For he _thought_ that his parent's didn't know about his secret relationship with a maiden of similar age that had sailed the year previous. Celeblaer had dark brown hair and bright blue eyes. His hair, Fanya said, was inherited from his human grandmother.

"MAMA! MAMA!"

"What it is, little Anaria?" Fanya asked, scooping up the little girl into her arms and situating the girl on her hip.

"Land! I see _LAND_!"

"Celeblaer? Is it true?" Fanya asked her son, snapping her head to face west.

"Yes, I can see it, too!" Celeblaer exclaimed.

The whole family rushed to the front of the boat and peered into the distance. Fanya hugged Legolas when she saw that her children were indeed speaking the truth.

"Oh Legolas, we're almost there!" she said excitedly, kissing him.

"Uh mother... you can't do that somewhere else?" Celeblaer interrupted, sounding disgusted.

Giggling, Fanya separated herself from Legolas and went below deck. "I'm going to go ready our things," she said, disappearing below deck.

"I'm going to go fix lunch," Legolas excused himself a few minutes later. "Gimli is in charge, you three," he peered at his three children and then disappeared below deck to join his wife.

"Fixing lunch... I'll bet my axe he's doing no such fixing," Gimli grumbled, joining the children at the front of the boat. Only Celeblaer seemed to understand the insinuation, and his ears tinged pink. Gimli just laughed.

"You elves never change... that pathetic elf of a Father you have has never held to the rules... no, he's one of a kind," Gimli reminisced. "And he'll never change... of that I'm sure of."

And a few hours later, as the stars were first appearing in the sky, five elves and one dwarf descended the dock to their home.

"Legolas," Fanya said from the deck of the ship, watching as her children started to walk towards a group of elves who were there to greet them.

"Yes, my love?"

"Are you sure this was the right thing to do? This wasn't too soon to leave Thranduil all alone?"

"I'm certain of it. He can handle everything. Come, we have our new life ahead of us... why start it in doubt?"

"You're right," Fanya said. "I'm not afraid of the unknown."

Legolas pulled her in to share another deep kiss. "And you never have been."

* * *

**Suilad, loyal readers.**

**This is the end... I hope you have enjoyed it! I have a few things I would like to say. Feel free to read it, for these words I feel I must say. And what better a time to say them than at the end? And then, of course, I will then turn you loose to click the review button one last time for this story.**

**When I first started writing this story I was young and inexperienced, both age-wise, and in writing terms as well. I had just discovered that God had given me a natural talent of writing and story-telling, and that I was pretty good at it, if a little rough. I hope all of you have seen a noticeable difference in the style and quality of my writing from day 1, August 29, 2003, until day 1257, June 10, 2006. I certainly have, as the author.**

**After the initial excitement of writing my own, "original" story about Lord of the Rings (All of us experience this excitement... if you write, you know what I am talking about) wore off I realized what I had gotten myself into. But by _that_ time I had jumped into deep water without testing its depth. In other words, I was 15 chapters into the story and I had no idea where I was _really_ going. So I decided to take a step back and take my time finishing the story.**

**Let me be honest: I think the first half of the story could be written SO much better than it actually is. I actually started to go back and rewrite it in a "better" way. But soon after I started doing rewrites I realized what a learning experience I have had writing this story. I started off raw and unproven in my writing, with no past experience except for school papers and a few cute little short-story essays I had done for English class. And when I found out that I was good, (or so said the reviews) I was ecstatic! All writers jump with glee when they get a review. (Yes, we do... really.) I would sneak into the computer lab at school to secretly check my email some afternoons to see if I got another review or not. And well, 200 some reviews later I still get REALLY excited every time somebody reviews.**

**So when you read this story, if you ever read it again, please do me a favor and think, "Wow. She has really grown while she was writing this. This last chapter is much better than that first one."**

**I want to thank EVERYBODY who reviewed. And everybody who read this and _thought_ about reviewing. Those people include:**

**Abby Rose, aireur, Al, amrawo Anaka Greenleaf, angelofdeadlydarkness0010, anon, Anonymous Areniel, Arwen1481, Arroz, Asyr, Bane of the Mary-Sues, Bb, Bert, bethany wood, blu-eyed-belle, Boy Crazy Magician Chick, Brooke, bruisedSkies, CoOkiE-WiNgS, CourtneyNKay, Crazyniteowl, Crecy, Crystal Moon Magic, crissy dowie, Crystal Snowflakes, darkness eternal (prantis), Destructive Habit, digital-tiffany, drunk off of diet coca-cola, ElijahFreak, Elizabeth, Elvenpirate, evilducktape101, Elerrina, ElwynElanesse, FAIRYofLight, feanen, Following Padfoot's Pawprints, French Pony, Greeneyes616, Guss-Guss, harmony99, I like this story, Idget2301, Idhrenniel, inweofnargothrond, Joy4eva, Kathy2, Kelse, Kika1, KnowInsight, Lady Anck-su-namun, Lady Excalibur, Lady Keshanna of the Night, LadyZane, Lara Roberts, LalaInDeKitchen, Leah's Lovely, loveroflegolas, Lydia A., Meekah Greenleaf, Meow, Mercurial1, Merlinsmagic, Mickey, moonbunny77, Natalie Uzzle, NHOI, Nienna Silmarwen, nilimade, nyctophobia, Obi-wansPatawan, Orangeblossom07, orlandos-gurl13, Orli's babe, Padfoot's love, PaleMoon, potterluvva, p3gurl, Quessealqua, Randi, Regretfully, Kitta, retrodaisy, Riako, Scorchio, Shivvers, Shannon, silverstar188, SilverUnicorn66, Snapes-Prisoner, StarAngel Caelum SunSoar, stargirl719, Sweetpanda, The Contessa, The Cynic, The Little Dragon, ToraNoKo123, Tom, Tracy, Vanwathoniel, WarriorHobbitBex, William, WordNerd, Xnedra, YueMichiruNaragisawaMiko, zelda ll, zoeluver, 4everGlenda:D.**

**All of you people have considerably brightened my day, even IF you flamed me (Trust me, I had a good laugh).**

**And second of all, I want to thank some of the world's best people, a girl who started off as a friend and whom I grew to know quite well, Lady Ardonelle, who edited a few of the chapters in the beginning of this story. Ardonelle, I know you've had some hard times, but I appreciate the friendship and support you have shown me. I'll always be there if you ever need me.**

**And another girl who started off as a writing companion, but has ended up as my best friend: Shivvers. You are the most amazing, quirky, and fun-loving person to hang around. I don't know what I would do without your support and green magic! I know you'll grow to be an amazing writer, and I hope I'll always be there to celebrate with you.**

**Both Shivvers and Ardonelle stuck with me and encouraged me the whole time, lending their talents to my purpose. You girls are amazing. I don't know what I would do without either one of you.**

**So as one last note, thank you for reading this story. Your reviews meant the world to me, and even if you did not review my story, the fact that you spent time reading my story means more than I can explain.**

**Namarië!**

**-Ivy**

**6/10/06**


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